Memento Mori: Tied Fates
by Sho-A0YCupid
Summary: Twins Minato and Minako return to their childhood city to attend school after ten years when they both survived a car accident that took their parents. After signing the contract by a mysterious boy, they will soon realize that their lives will not be the same with the awakening of their power, Persona. Rated T for some situations and language Look in Author's Notice inside.
1. Author's Notice

Hello everyone! This is Sho-A0YCupid, or you guys can call me Shoai or Cupid for short. For those who have read my ZoLu or Hetalia fanfics will know that I'm alive and I would like to apologize for the lack of updates. I've been busy in college and really lacking on good ideas to continue with the stories. I'm sorry for having all of you wait, but I haven't forgotten.

For those of you who are just knowing me for the first time, I like to say hi and hope you enjoy reading my first Persona3 fic.

Now, before you guys start reading, I will let you guys know that I've used the wonderful help of the walkthroughs on YT in order to make this fic. If some of you have played the game and did something different, please don't bash me on it and it will be helpful for you guys to help me out if I made an error somewhere. I used the walkthroughs for both the male and female protagonists because I don't see a lot of that from the other fics I've read, then again I was reading AkihikoxFMC (Minako) mostly. But point of the matter is that a lot of the lines you would see in the fic is mostly lines from the actual game with a bit of my interpretation of how the protagonists would act as well as a few touches of what goes on off the side.

I also may not have got the characters personalities down well, so expect some ooc traits in mostly the protagonists or other characters if you happen to spot some. So I'll apologize in advance if you find something you don't agree on or you have an issue of it.

Well, that's all I got to say at the moment and I would like to say welcome again and enjoy this fic.

*Update*

I found the image for the cover on Zerochan. If this is your artwork, I'm sorry for not getting your permission, but I couldn't find that option to ask that question and it's such a beautiful picture that seems to fit well for this fic. Thank you.

*Update*

Hey everyone! Just another update to let you guys know that I've made a few changes. Just one really: one reviewer has brought to my attention that using Orpheus for both characters is a bit strange even with the gender and appearance differences, but mentioned that the name "Eurydice", Orpheus's wife in the Greek tale, is a better name choice for Minako's Persona while Orpheus will remain as Minato's, and so I've made that small change since I like that idea better. Other than that the story will continue on.

Please notify me if you see some mistakes that I've made while you guys are reading. Sometimes I may have overlooked it while I'm looking over and feedback is greatly appreciated.


	2. Episode 1: Arrival

Ep.1 : Arrival

-4/6-

_It was a dark night even with the moon out. A car had flipped and was now on its side. The occupants at the front weren't moving, but there was movement in the back as a boy with dark blue hair was pulling out a copper brunette girl of the car when what sounds like gun firing was heard and he looked up-_

"Minato!" A girl's voice called out as blue eyes opened to see red eyes staring at him. "We have to get off now." She said as she leaned back to see that she had copper brunette hair up in a high pony tail, bangs fell down in front of her face but on her left side of her head she had bobby pins in what looked like roman numerals for twenty-two.

He yawned as he got up with her out of the airplane and into the airport. "Which train do we have to go on?" He asked as he took off his headphones to look at the girl beside him, who was clinging to his jacket sleeve to keep from separating as she looked at the piece of paper that was handled a lot from the creases on it.

"We have to take two." She informed. "The first one we have to take just outside the airport and then we have to take another to get to Iwatodai station." She said as she bit her bottom lip. "It still feels weird…"

He smiled at her nervousness as he found her hand. "Don't worry Sissy. We're going to be okay." He said as red eyes looked up at him, full of confusion, nervousness, but importantly trust in him as she nodded. With that they headed to where the first train is and took that. "How about you get some sleep. I'll make sure to wake you up when we get there." He saw her nod as she put on her own red headphones that were dangling from her neck, turned on her mp3 player to some soft opera song and saw her eyes close and slowly fell asleep. He looked out of the window, watching the scene become a blur of color and shapes.

He tried to remember something that happened years ago, but it was nothing but shadows to him now after he remembered getting his sister out of that car. He remembered that it was very quick, as if he didn't have the time to realize what had happened.

When they arrived at the first of two stops, he woke her up and both exited out of the train and took the long walk to the next station that would take them to Iwatodai. Both had their head phones on, carrying their small luggage while their hands were clasped tightly together. When they did arrive at the second station, they were informed that the train was down for technical difficulties but will start back up for the last travel of the day.

"At this rate we'll arrive to the dorm really late." The boy said with a sigh. "And we got school the next day too…"

"It's not going to be too much of a difference." The girl said with a small smile. "It's like all those times when she had to force us to move and we had to get to our new school as soon as we hit our new home."

"Yeah…" He said as he sighed. "But this time… we only have each other and a place that isn't ours really."

She nodded sadly as she sighed. "I hope this is better than before…"

He looked at her as he squeezed her hand for reassurance. "We're finally free from her, Minako. You heard what she said. We're no longer bound to her as our aunt. In fact… that's the only good thing she'd ever done for us besides getting us to this school and dorm… and everything else to get us here."

She nodded agreeingly. "Yeah. But I'm still a bit nervous… What if-"

"It's going to be okay." He said with a smile. "We're together. We can overcome this much with just that."

She sighed as she smiled. "I hope the dorm mates are nice…"

"I'm sure of it." He said as the intercom came one and announced that their train was ready for departure. "No backing out now."

She giggled. "Like we have a choice?" She said as they made it onto the train and waited until the train stopped due to a malfunction in the switching system.

"Damn…" He said as he looked at the schedule and sighed. "We'll be there at midnight by the time we get to the station." He rubbed his eyes. "I'm going to be a zombie for tomorrow."

She placed a hand on his shoulder as she smiled. "Make that two zombies." She said, making him chuckle as they heard that the next station is where they needed to be. "That's us."

"Yeah." He said as they waited until the train arrived at the station.

xxxxx

When the train stopped and they boarded off, they headed towards the small gates as he took out a piece of paper, which has the directions to the dorm they were going to live at.

"You're right about the time Toto-nii." Minako said as she glanced up at the clock, which was seconds away from midnight, before looking at the handled paper in his hands. "So where do we-?" She started to say when everything seemed to turn off suddenly, including their mp3s. "Huh?"

"Did the batteries die?" Minato asked as he looked over at his mp3 and saw that everything was turned off. "A black out?"

"This is really weird…" She said as she tugged his sleeve to keep walking. "Let's just find the dorm and try to get some-" She continued to say as they headed out of the station, only to see a sight that made them stop to look, "… sleep…"

They saw that the city was eerily silent with coffin-like objects around and what looked like blood on the ground. The night sky was a mix of black and green with a gigantic moon, glowing in an eerily glow.

"Let's go." He said as he grabbed her hand, who agreed with him as they walked carefully down the streets until they found the building they were looking for, which strangely had their lights on.

"Do you think they would stay up to make sure we're okay?" She asked.

"The dorm manager maybe…" He said as he looked to see that even the second and third levels had their lights on. 'How weird…' He thought as they went up the steps towards the doors and opened to see the lounge, which had a comfortable atmosphere about it.

"Hello?" Minako called out, her voice a bit soft from nervousness. "Anyone here?"

"Welcome." Said a boy's voice as both siblings looked at the desk area to see a boy there in front of the desk, wearing what looked like pajamas in black and white stripes, short black hair, and wide, deep blue eyes that seemed to stare into their very souls. "You're late. I've been waiting a long time." He said with a smile.

'When did he…?' Minato started to think as he dropped it and saw that the boy mentioned what looked like a contract.

"If you want to proceed, then please sign here. It's a contract."

"A… A contract?" Minako said, a bit nervous.

"There's no need to be scared." The boy said with a smile that doesn't seem to leave his face. "It only binds you to accepting full responsibility for your actions."

Minato took the paper as he and his sister looked it over to the first line of the contract.

_I chooseth this fate of mine own free will_

Then they saw a place to sign their names in. He looked at her and they shared a silent agreement as they signed both their names in.

_Arisato Minato_

_Arisato Minako_

The boy smiled more as he took the paper from them. "Very well." He said as the piece of paper disappeared and looked up at them. "Time is something no one can escape. It delivers us all to the same end. Wishing it won't make it go away." He walked backwards into the shadow of the room as he waved at them. "And so it begins…" And just like that the lights were off and there was no sight of the boy.

"What on earth…" Minako said quietly when they heard someone come up.

"Who's there?!" Called out a young woman's voice as the siblings looked to see another human form in the darkness, but within the dim light to see her. "How can you be… But it's…!" She continued as she reached for something that looks like a gun on her thigh. "Don't tell me!"

Minako gasped as Minato stepped in front of his sister before another woman's voice called out in the darkness.

"Takeba! Wait!" And just like that all was still as the lights came on and everyone saw a beautiful young woman with a regal air about her. Her hair was a dark shade of red that fell in soft waves down her back as dark chocolate eyes looked at them while red lips smiled in a calm fashion. She wore what looks like a school uniform of a white blouse with a red ribbon at the chest, a red armband on her upper left arm, and a long black skirt. "I didn't think both of you would arrive so late." She said as she calmly walked up to them, making the first girl calm down and looked curiously at the siblings.

The other girl wore a pink outfit that looks like a uniform, soft light brunette hair and milk chocolate eyes looking at them in curiosity as well as distrust.

"My name is Kirijo Mitsuru. I'm one of the students who live in this dorm." The red head, Mitsuru, said in a calm and regal fashion that made her sound older and wiser than the three in the room.

"Who are they?" The girl in pink asked.

"They're both transfer students. It was a last minute decision to assign them here." Mitsuru explained. "They'll eventually be moved to a room in the normal dorm."

"Is it okay for them to be here?" The girl in pink asked.

"I guess we'll see." Mitsuru said with a bit of amusement in her tone as she looked back at the siblings and mentioned the girl. "This is Takeba Yukari. She'll be a junior this spring, just like you two."

"Hi, I'm Yukari." Yukari said with a wave and an awkward smile that seemed a bit apologetic.

Minako still saw the gun on Yukari's thigh and Minato was still a bit protective about what happened moments ago. "Why do you have a gun?" He asked, letting the two know that he wasn't going to let this slip without an explanation. "You scared my sister after all." He added as he could sense that Minako has her back at the door, ready to run.

"Huh?" Yukari said as she did feel a bit guilty about scaring the girl as she tried to think of a believable lie. "Well, it's sorta like a hobby… Well, not a hobby, but…" She looked at Mitsuru for help as the older of the four cut in.

"You know how it is these days… It's for self-defense." She said as she saw him relax as well as the sister. "It's not a real gun, of course."

"Could've fooled me." Minato said as his sister was standing beside him, looking somewhat relieved.

"It's getting late. You'll find your room on the third floor." Mitsuru said as she looked a bit troubled. "I'm sorry to say that I could only put you two in the same room for now. Will that be a problem?"

Minako giggled at this. "We're siblings. We had no choice in the matter."

"You see, our former aunt is a bit of a cheapskate, so we were forced to share the same room even when we're old enough to have our rooms." Minato said with a shrug. "It's not a big deal to us."

"I see…" Mitsuru said as she seemed a bit lost by this. "Well, your things should already be there. I suggest you tuck in for the night. Though there's only one bed in there…"

"You take the bed." Minato said before Minako could say anything.

"You took the floor last time. It's my turn." She said, not seeing the surprised and confused looks of the other two girls.

"Let's not argue this now." Minato said as he sighed. "It's only until we get our rooms anyway. We'll figure out what to do until then."

"Kay…" She said as she looked at the girls, feeling a bit self-conscious about their looks when Yukari snapped out of it first.

"Oh! I'll show you the way. Follow me." Yukari said as they followed her up to the third floor and down the hall to the last door in the hall. "This is it. Pretty easy to remember, huh? Since it's right at the end of the hall." She looked at them with a smile that wasn't fake, but still nervous. "So? Any questions?"

"We signed a contract earlier…" Minako said, only to stop when she saw the confused look in Yukari's eyes.

"Contract? What are you talking about?"

Minato sighed as he placed a hand on his sister's head. "It's been a long day of traveling for us. We're tired out." He said, which seemed to work as a topic changer.

"Right. Um… Can I ask you two something?" Yukari asked as the two nodded. "On your way from the station, was everything okay?"

This seemed to make the siblings curious as they looked at one another, another silent agreement was made as both looked at her. "What do you mean?" Both asked in unison.

"You know what I…" Yukari started to say as she shook her head. "Never mind…" She said as she smiled at them. "You two are alright. Well! I better get going!" She said as she turned to walk away before stopping. "I'm sure you two have other questions, but let's save those for later, okay? Good night!" And with that she headed down stairs.

"That was weird." Minato said as he opened the door. "But I'm too damn tired to think." Both entered the room to find most of their boxes in the room and a bed up at the corner of the room. "Let's just go to sleep, get up, and hopefully have a good start to our new school."

"Toto-nii…" Minako said, looking a bit down, which he hugged her.

"It's going to be okay, Sissy." He backed up a bit to place a kiss on her forehead. "Try to get some sleep. Tomorrow's another big day." He saw her nod as she took off her jacket and shoes and headed to the bed.

"I have a pillow and blanket you can use in my sack." She informed him. "You can use the blanket as a mattress."

"Thanks. Sweet dreams." He said as he took off his own jacket and shoes, set up his sleeping arrangements and both fell asleep.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Yukari went down to the lounge, where she saw Mitsuru look through a file and had a trouble look on her face. "What was all that about?" She asked as she pointed up the stairs.

"It seems that their provider has signed the documents to release them from her custody and used all the money from that for them to have them move and attend here." Mitsuru said as she sighed. "It seems that those two only had each other to rely on."

"It seems like they're still orphans even though they have a living relative…" She said, as she seemed to be bitter about that. "Why would their own family disown them like that?"

"Bad blood apparently." Mitsuru said bluntly. "Their former aunt simply can't face to see her sister's children anymore."

"It's still wrong!" Yukari said angrily.

Mitsuru remained silent as she carefully closed the file. "It's better for them that they're here." With that she stood up with file in hand. "You should also get to sleep, Takeba. They'll need someone to show them the way to school." She headed up the stairs with Yukari following behind.


	3. Episode 2: First Day of School

Ep.2: First Day of School

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/7-

The next morning, Minako woke up early as she groaned while getting up and out of bed and headed to her bag to find her school uniform, changed quickly, and woke up her brother to do the same while she brushed her hair and teeth.

"Ready for school?" He asked her as she nodded as she got her school bag and he was done with the sink before they heard a knock on the door.

"Hey you two! It's Yukari! Are you guys up?"

"Yes!" Minako said as Minato opened the door.

"Good morning. Did you guys sleep okay?" Yukari asked as she saw the rolled up blankets at the foot of the bed, which was made somewhat nicely, and saw that the siblings were ready to go.

"Yeah, we did." Minato answered.

"Mitsuru-senpai asked me to take you guys to school. You guys ready?"

"Yeah!" Minako said happily, Yukari noticing that she was very cute when she smiled.

"We were just about to head out." Minato said with a bit of a yawn at the end as he picked up his bag.

"Okay then, let's go!" Yukari said as they headed out of the dorms and into the station where they took the monorail, which she saw the siblings look lost and confused as they followed her in. "We have to take the monorail to get there. Bet your last school wasn't like that, huh?"

"No. It wasn't." Minako said. "We had to walk a lot."

"I see." Yukari said as she pointed out to the window. "This is my favorite part…" She said as the monorail was over the ocean, "when it feels like you're gliding over the sea."

Minako and Minato looked as well and the sister was in awe of the scene, which made the brother smile.

Yukari felt that she had made up for last night and explained that their stop is at Port Island Station, which they had to walk to school from there. "Have you heard of Tatsumi Port Island?" She asked as the siblings looked at her with some confusion. "It's a man-made island. They built the school right in the middle."

"Really?" Minako said, honestly surprised. "A school on an island?"

"That's pretty 'school'." Minato said, making his sister giggle.

"Yeah. Oh! You can see it now!" Yukari pointed out as the siblings looked and both were in awe.

"Oh Brother! It's beautiful!"

"Not bad… It's definitely big." He said as they reached to the station.

"Well! Let's get going!" Yukari said, feeling a bit more energetic as she saw the sister looking very excited while grabbing her brother's hand for him to hurry up.

When they got there, they made it to the front gate of the school as Yukari turned to face them. "Well! Here we are! Welcome to Gekkoukan High! You're gonna love it here!"

"I know Sissy is." Minato said as he caught his sister blushing and glared at him.

"Toto-nii!" She said as she playfully tried to shove him, only for him to stand his ground.

'How cute.' Yukari thought as she saw the siblings laugh it off and continued to follow her to the lockers of the front of the school to change into their school shoes. "You guys are okay from here, right?" She asked as both nodded. "You should see your homeroom teacher first." She informed as she pointed to the left. "The Faculty Office is right there to the left. And that concludes the tour. Have any questions before I go?" She asked as both siblings shook their heads. 'So in sync.' She thought as she looked around her before lowering her voice. "About last night… Don't tell anyone what you saw, okay?" The two looked at each other as they looked back and nodded. She nodded as well as she smiled and waved. "Well! See ya later!" And with that she left the siblings be.

Minato sighed as he looked around along with Minako. "There's a roster there though…" He dully pointed out as his sister giggled.

"Let's take a look to see if our names on there before we meet our teacher." She suggested as they headed over there and looked to see if they could find their names.

"I don't see our names anywhere…" Minato said.

"There it is!" Minako said as she pointed to the little sticky note. "Looks like the dorm wasn't the only thing that we were added in last minute."

"Must've annoyed some of the teachers." He said as he noticed that Yukari was in the same class as them. "Looks like Takeba-san is also in the same class."

"That's good." She said as they headed over to the Faculty Office and found a young looking female teacher as she noticed them walk in.

"Oh! Are you two the new students?" She asked them. "Arisato Minato and Minako…" She smiled. "I never had twins in my class before. Eleventh grade, correct?" She saw both of them nod as she flipped through the file. "Wow. You two lived in lots of different places." She missed the looks the two had as she flipped to one page in the file. "Let's see… In 1999… That was ten years ago? Your parents—" She didn't get to finish reading aloud as she closed the file. "I'm sorry… I've been so busy, I didn't have time to read this before-hand." She apologized to the two.

"It's okay." Minako said with an understanding smile as Minato filled in.

"No harm done."

The teacher smiled kindly as she introduced herself. "I'm Toriumi-san. I teach composition. Welcome to our school."

Both siblings bowed respectfully. "Please to meet you, Sensei." Both said in unison as they got back up, seeing an impressed smile on the teacher's face.

"My, aren't you two polite? Students like you two should be an example for others." Mrs. Toriumi said with a giggle. "Have you seen your classroom assignment? You two are in F-2; that's my class. But first, we need to go to the auditorium. The Welcoming Ceremony will be starting soon."

"May we accompany you there?" Minato asked. "We haven't really toured the whole school yet to know the layout."

"Of course!" Mrs. Toriumi said. "Just let me quickly finish here and we'll go. Mind waiting outside?"

"None at all." Minato said as he and Minako headed out of the office and waited for their homeroom teacher before she came out and followed her to the auditorium.

xxxxx

They were in the auditorium for some time, listening to the principal's speech which seemed to drag on when the siblings heard some students behind them.

"I heard we got a transfer student."

"Dude. We have two transfer students. They came here with Yukari."

"Yeah, I saw them too, and they're in front of us."

The siblings looked at each other from the corner of their eyes and shared a look that said 'here it goes' when one of the guys behind Minato tried to get his attention. "Yes?" He whispered.

"Hey man, you were with Yukari this morning, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I have a question. Do you know if she has a boyfriend?"

"How would I know? I just met her."

"I see… I thought you might know… Well, what about the girl next to you?"

"I hear talking." Said an older male teacher. "I believe it's someone from Toriumi-san's class."

The student went back to his seat as Mrs. Toriumi shushed them. "Be quiet! You're going to get me in trouble!"

Minato took a chance as he turned to face the student who was talking to him. "She's my sister. And no." He said as he faced forward as he saw his sister sigh as students started to talk before they got up to head over to their class.

xxxxx

When they arrived in their classroom, they waited until Mrs. Toriumi came in finally and brought attention to the class onto them.

"Class, as you can see we have two new transfer students. They're twins Arisato Minato and Minako. Please welcome them to this class.

Minako bowed to the class. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Arisato Minako." This was followed by her brother doing the same. "I'm Arisato Minato."

"Well now, where to put you two…" The teacher said as she pointed out to the only two empty desks in the room. "You two can have those seats over there."

"Thank you, Toriumi-sensei." Both siblings said as they headed over to their seats.

Time passed and soon class ended and their after school session started.

"What do you want to do?" Minako asked.

"We could look around the school and see if there's any clubs that are open." Minato said as they got up from their seats.

"S'up dudes!?" Both looked to see one of their classmates talking to them. He wore a dark blue baseball cap, a different variation of the school uniform, has a bit of a goatee on his chin, but overall displaying a friendly atmosphere with a grinning smile. "How's it goin'?" He continued as he chuckled. "Man, you look like a deer in headlights, Minako-tan."

Minako blushed nervously as Minato dully glared. "What do you want?"

"Oh come on." The guy said as he leaned back. "Let me introduce myself, at least." He smiled again as he straightened his posture. "I'm Iori Junpei. Nice to meet ya. I transferred here when I was in the eighth grade. I know how tough it is bein' the new kid. Though in your case, new kids." He said with a bit of a chuckle, which Minato had to smile a bit while Minako giggled. "So I thought I'd check up on you, make sure you weren't freaking out on your first day." He chuckled as he patted Minato's shoulder. "See what a nice guy I am!" This was earned by another giggle as Yukari came up. "Hey! It's Yuka-tan! I didn't think we'd be in the same class again!"

Yukari sighed, obviously not really happy to see him. "At it again huh? Honestly is there any girl you wouldn't hit on? I swear you'll talk to anyone if they'll listen." She said as she gave Junpei an authorative look. "Do you ever think that you might be bothering someone?"

"What? I was just bein' friendly." Junpei said as the other girl sighed.

"If you say so." She said as she turned to look at the two and smiled. "Anyway, some coincidence that we'd be in the same homeroom, huh?"

"Yeah." The twins said in unison.

"Funny, huh?" Yukari said with a bit of laughter in her voice.

"Uh, hello? Did you forget I'm in this class too? C'mon, lemme in on the fun here." Junpei said with a bit of annoyance. "By the way, do you three know each other? I heard you guys came to school together this morning." He went behind the twins as he wrapped his arms around their shoulders, but was looking at Minato. "What's up with that, man? Two cuties walking side by side with one guy looking like the luckiest bastard in the block… the whole class was buzzing about you." He chuckled. "C'mon, gimmie the dirt!"

Yukari seemed to be insulted. "Wh-What are you talking about!? Could you just cut it out?" She groaned. "I hate dealing with rumors like that." She pointedly glared at Junpei. "I mean, I'm used to it, but they just got here, you know? Don't you feel bad, spreading rumors like that? And we live in the same dorm. So there's nothing going on, okay?" She sighed. "Why are people even talking about it? Now you got me worried…" She sighed again as she shook her head. "Anyway, I've gotta go take care of some archery team stuff." She glared at Junpei again. "Don't try anything funny, you got that, Junpei?" This caused Junpei to release the twins as he backed away in a mocking fashion. She then looked at the two. "Hey… You guys didn't say anything to anyone about… you know what, did you?" She asked as both twins shook their heads, and she sighed in relief. "Okay, good." She then looked serious. "Seriously… Don't say anything about last night, alright?"

Junpei looked shocked when he heard this, which Yukari noticed and looked confused.

"What?"

"L-Last night…?"

Then she seemed to catch on. "W-Wait a minute! Don't get the wrong idea! Listen! I just met them yesterday and there's nothing going on!"

"It did sound a little wrong though." Minato pointed out as Minako nodded. "You need to time your talks better." He said with a yawn. "I'm tired…"

"Geeze…" She said as she seemed to blush out of embarrassment. "Well, I'm going! See you guys back in the dorm." She finalized as she seemed to stomp out of the room.

"What is she, your nanny?" Junpei said. "No one takes rumors seriously, anyway. She's so paranoid." He then looked at the two. "Well, just to clear something up, I seriously didn't come over to hit on your sis or anything."

"I know." Minato said. "It's cool."

Junpei grinned as he nodded. "Well, if you guys ever have a problem, you can tell your ol' pal Junpei about it!"

Minako smiled and nodded. "I'll remember that. Thank you Iori-san."

"Just call me Junpei, no need for formalities." Junpei said. "You guys are kinda old school, huh?"

"We get in trouble if we're not respectful." Minato explained. "So it's kind of our default."

"I see, that's cool. But you know, it's your guys' first day, and people are already talking about you!" He chuckled. "In case you guys didn't know, Yukari is pretty popular around here. So, Minato, you da man!"

"Huh?" He said as his sister giggled and Junpei laughed.

"This year is gonna be a fun year." Junpei said. "I can feel it!"

"That makes both of us then." Minako said.

"Cool! I guess I'll be seeing you guys around then."

"We're actually heading back to the dorms." Minato said with a smile. "How about joining us?"

"Sure man, that'll be awesome." Junpei said as he chuckled as they headed out of the school and towards the gates, where a running group went pass them. "Whoa, check out the jocks on their run…" He pointed out with a laugh before looking at the twins. "Hey, did anyone tell you about the school clubs. Girls can join too, you know."

"We've attended a few clubs in our old schools." Minako said. "But it looks like there isn't an opening yet."

"Yeah, you guys won't be able to apply for a little while."

"That's fine by us." Minato said. "We're not fully used to the whole ordeal yet, so we're in no hurry."

"Yeah! You're right!" Junpei said as the trio made small talk all the way up to the dorm where they parted ways. "See you guys tomorrow!"

"See you Junpei! Good night!" Minako called out as she waved to him.

"Night!" Minato said as they entered through the doors to the lounge area where they saw Mitsuru on the couch, looking over the paper before looking up to see them and smiled.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said.

"Hello, Kirijo-senpai." Minako said. "How was your day?"

"It was well for a first day of school. And you may call me Mitsuru in the near future."

"Okay, Mitsuru-senpai." She said, which made the senior smile in amusement as she looked back at the paper.

"And how was your first day you two?"

"It was good Senpai." Minato said. "A lot better than I expect." He yawned. "Man I'm tired…"

Mitsuru looked up at the two for a moment before looking back at her paper. "You should rest up early tonight then. You two had a long two days."

"Well good night then, Mitsuru-senpai. See you in the morning." Minako said as her brother said his good night before they were heading up the stairs.

Mitsuru watched them go up as she had a calculating look. 'Are they really okay being in the same room?'

xxxxx

A bit time later, Minako and Minato were working on getting a few boxes open and arranging some of the items around the room.

"This brings back memories, doesn't it?" Minako said. "Remember when we had to stay in Russia for a couple months?"

Minato chuckled. "Yeah, and we always end up in the same bed just so we can be warm." He said as he placed the small trinkets on the shelves. "Today was a good day wasn't it?"

Minako smiled happily and nodded. "I can't remember the last time I felt that happy about the first day of school, about anything really…" She said softly as she picked up a framed picture of the only thing left of their parents. "Have you ever wondered what might our lives be like if that day didn't happen, or what would become of us if one of us joined them?"

He looked to see what she was looking at and placed a hand on her shoulder. "At one point we nearly lost one another, remember?"

She closed her eyes as she remembered the scent of bleach, the scratchy material of the hospital gown, and the whiteness of the curtains filled with the sounds of the mechanical beeping of the monitor. "Yeah…"

"Come on, we need to get some sleep. We were lucky not sleeping in class today, but we might not be so lucky tomorrow if we're not rested."

"Says the one who yawned most of the day." She said as she saw that he was going to sleep on the floor again. "It's my turn to take the floor. You take the bed."

"I like the floor, Sissy. Take the bed and don't argue."

She sighed. "One of these days you're going to complain about back pain and I will knock you out to sleep on the bed." She said as he laughed. "I'm serious!"

"I know!"

She pouted as she quickly changed into her pajamas as he looked the other way. "One of these days Brother…" She said as she got her white cotton pajamas with paw prints on them. She sighed as she started to head towards the door.

"Where you going?"

"Getting a glass of water, want one?"

"No, I'm okay." He said as she headed out and she went down the stairs.

xxxxx

"Yeah right, it has to be THEM."

She stopped when she was closing in on the lounge as she heard a voice she didn't recognize.

"Otherwise, it's not worth my time..." Said a young man.

"You have a one-track mind…" Mitsuru said as she sighed. "Will you be okay on your own? The Chairman will be here for the next few days, but after that, I can…"

"Don't worry." Said the confident young man. "I'm just getting a little practice."

Minako heard heavy steps, then the door opening and closing before she carefully walked out to the lounge, not catching what the senior girl said. "Hello Mitsuru-senpai."

This caught the other's attention. "Oh, Minako-chan. What are you doing up still?"

"I'm just getting something to drink." She said as she looked at the door. "Who else is in the dorm?" She asked as she looked at Mitsuru.

The red head smiled calmly as she relaxed on the couch with a book in hand. "Besides me, Takeba, you and your brother, there is one more student. You probably have heard and seen him at school already. His name is Sanada Akihiko."

She blinked. "I've heard of the name, but I don't think I've seen him at school."

"I'm not surprised." Mitsuru said with a mysterious smile. "You'll meet him soon enough." She opened her book up. "Now, if you don't have any other questions, I suggest you try to get some rest for tonight."

"Oh, right." She said as she went into the kitchen to get a quick drink of water and was about to head back up the stairs when Mitsuru called her. "Yes?"

"Are you and your brother really okay with staying in the same room together? I can arrange to have a room for either of you to have your own space."

She smiled as she shook her head. "It's okay, Mitsuru-senpai. I know you think it's strange, but we're just very used to situations like this. Thank you for your concern though." She said with a sad smile. "I better get to sleep now. Good night, Mitsuru-senpai." With that she headed up the stairs.

"Good night." She said as she sighed. "What an unusual pair…"


	4. Episode 3: The Strange Dream

Ep. 3: The Strange Dream

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/8-

The next morning, Minako woke up early to see her brother still asleep on the ground and sighed. "Toto-nii! Wake up! We're going to be late!"

"Huh?" Minato groaned out as he turned over to get up. "Okay…" He said as he quickly washed his face, got dressed, and did some other morning routine thing before grabbing his bag and both of them headed out to the school.

xxxxx

When they arrived to the school gates, both of them overheard a couple girls gossiping about a first-year student rambling about something coming before they hurried to the building to their class.

"Hey man! How's it goin'? What's up, Minako-tan?"

"Morning Junpei." Minako said as she sat down in her seat. "Going okay so far."

"Morning. Still tired though." Minato said as Mrs. Toriumi came in to start the lesson, which she slightly went on a small rant about why her favorite author wasn't in their textbook, in which she put Junpei on the spot to answer, in which Minato gave him the answer, which impressed the class.

"Man, you saved my bacon." Junpei whispered to the boy next to him.

"Don't thank me, thank Sissy, she's the one who pays attention." He pointed out as she didn't seem to hear them talk, eyes on the teacher while taking careful notes down.

"Thank her for me then when she's not paying attention then." Junpei said as Minato gave him the thumbs up and sat through the class.

xxxxx

When the school day was over, the twins decided to just head back to the dorms, and they walked down along the station where Minako pointed out the bookstore, BookWorms, and decided that they should go there to find new books to read while they're staying in the area.

When they reached to the dorm, they entered to the lounge to find Yukari and a man there.

"Oh, they're back." She said as the unfamiliar man turned to see them.

"So these two are our new guests." He said as he mentioned the both of them to sit down. "Good evening. My name is Shuji Ikutsuki. I'm the Chairman of the Board of your school." He introduced as they sat down.

"Good evening, Ikutsuki-san." Minako said, slightly struggling with the name, which the man seemed to laugh good humorously.

"Hard to say, isn't it? That's why I don't like introducing myself. Even I get tongue-tied sometimes…" He then looked a bit concerned. "I apologize about the confusion regarding both your accommodations. However, it may take a while longer before you receive the proper room assignment."

"That's fine." Minato said. "We kinda started getting small stuff out. To lighten the place a bit."

"I see. Well, is there anything you'd like to ask?" The Chairman asked.

"Well…" Minako started to say as she looked at Minato. "The day we arrived at the dorm, we saw something strange."

"Hm? You saw something strange?" The man asked as the twins took turns explaining carefully about the night they arrived at the station towards the dorms, only for the Chairman to wave it off as them being tired.

Both twins can tell something wasn't right, but didn't voice it out. "That's all I have, sir." She said.

"Then I hope you two have a successful school year." The man said happily. "Now if you will excuse me…" He got up from his seat. "You two must be tired from all the excitement. You should go to bed early."

"I know Brother needs it." Minako said as she looked at her brother, who sighed with slight annoyance.

"I know, I know. You win, Sissy."

The man chuckled at this. "Well, you know as they say, 'The early bird catches the bookworm'!" He chuckled at his own joke as he headed out of the room. "Good night."

Yukari sighed as he left. "Sorry. You'll get used to his lame jokes."

"He does that a lot?" Minato asked as an affirmative nod was his answer. "I guess it can't be all bad."

"Well, one thing's for sure." Minako said. "We are very tired." She sighed. "I think it might be the time difference that's really messing with our sleep."

"I see…" Yukari said as she got up. "Well, if you guys are tired, then you should get to bed right away, right?"

"Yeah." Minato said as he and his sister got up. "Well, see you in the morning."

"Good night, Takeba-san. See you in the morning."

"See you guys! Sleep well." She said as she seemed a bit guilty.

xxxxx

In their room, Minato got the bed and Minako got the floor and were sleeping soundly.

Somewhere else in the dormitory, Mitsuru and Yukari were watching the twins on a screen, monitoring them when the Chairman came up.

"Working hard? How are they doing?" He asked them as he also watched the screen. "They share a room? I thought the file was trying to be funny."

"It's anything but, Mr. Chairman." Mitsuru said. "They went to bed a little while ago. They're asleep now." She said as she looked up at the man. "Do you think they're…?"

"Well, let's wait and see for now." He said. "The Dark Hour is approaching."

The clock ticked on until the long hand reached to the twelve along with the short arm and everything became different. The monitor was still on, but it was clear that everything was being affected by something.

"Hmm… They're still sleeping like well lulled babies." He said, a bit interested. "During this time, an ordinary person transmogrifies into a coffin, and is oblivious to all that occurs."

"Then, they must be…" Yukari said as she looked away from the monitor to look at the man.

"As you can see, they've retained their human form. Which is amazing since they're twins. They're asleep, but they're definitely experiencing the Dark Hour." He said as he adjusted his glasses. "The only question that remains is whether or not they both have the potential. They must though… if they didn't, they would've preyed on them by now."

"Scary…" Yukari said with a shiver.

"In any case, we should continue to monitor them for a few more days."

"Yes sir." Mitsuru said.

"I feel kinda bad, though," Yukari said "spying on them like this…"

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the twins were deep into their sleep as they felt like gliding, following a voice or voices to a blue door that opened up to them to a bright light. They then found themselves in a room that looked like an elevator.

They sat in chairs, looking across to a man sitting in a sofa-like seat, and in-between them is a cloth covered table with something that looks like a leather notebook in the middle of it.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Said the man that looked old, but cunningly wise like a fox. The top of his head was bald of any hair but at the back and sides were a light shade of grayish white, ears that looked like something out of elfish folk-lore, a long nose that didn't seem possible for a normal human to possess, and wide eyes looking at them like a demon making a deal. "My name is Igor. I am delighted to make your acquaintance." He then mentioned to the woman to his left. "This is Elizabeth. She's a resident here, like myself."

The woman was very pretty with pale skin like moon light, golden-yellow eyes, pale hair, and wearing a dark blue dress uniform of some form with matching gloves and hat. "Pleased to meet you." She said, smiling kindly to them.

Igor then mentioned to his right. "And this is Theodore."

The man beside him shared many of the similar traits as Elizabeth, only his uniform is a suit and wore white gloves instead of blue. "Pleased to meet you, honored guests."

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter… Only those who have signed the contract can enter this place…" Igor said as he waved his white gloved hand, which opened the leather cover to see the paper both of them signed on the other day. "Henceforth, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to hone your unique ability, and you will require my help to do so." He then grinned mischiviously. "I only ask one thing in return… that you abide by the contract and assume responsibility for the choices you make."

The twins looked at each other, not really getting what was going on, but they did sign the contract, and it was simple enough one to follow as they looked back at Igor and both nodded while Minato said that they understood.

"Hold on to this…" Igor said as he snapped his fingers and there appeared two blue keys in front of the two. "It's rare to have twins in this room, but this is of no matter. 'Til we meet again."

With that the twin's vision became hazy and soon the room disappeared into black.

xxxxx

-4/9-

Both woke up and they looked at each other, silently making a non verbal exchange before Minako broke the silence.

"When was the last time we shared a dream that we actually remembered having?"

"Never."

"That's what I thought too…" She said as she shook her head. "That's weird, but we have school regardless."

He nodded as they quickly got up and dressed and headed out of the dorm to get to the school where they met up with Junpei.

"What's up you guys! Man, today is the perfect day!" Junpei said happily, only to yawn. "But man I'm so sleepy…"

"Don't yawn man…" Minato said as he yawned. "I'm still trying to wake up here."

"Well! In times like these, it's best to sleep during class!" He said with a chuckle. "You ever notice how sometimes taking a nap in class makes you feel more refreshed than sleeping at home?"

"Don't sleep in class." Minako said seriously.

"Whaat? Why do you have to be all serious? That feeling of being completely recharged is awesome… But I'm screwed later since I didn't hear the lecture."

"You just answered your own question there." Minato said, which the other junior simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Ah well! The sky is blue… we're young… What more could we ask for!?" Junpei said with a laugh when he looked as if he remembered something. "Wait… we have classic literature today…" He groaned. "That means we're stuck with Mr. Nasty ol' Ekoda…"

"You're sure active today." Minato said.

"Something good happen?" Minako asked, also noticing it.

"Oh yeah! Dudes, you won't believe it!" He looked excited to tell them, but then seemed to reconsider. "Oh wait! I'm not supposed to say anything!" He chuckled guiltily. "Sorry…"

"It must be something very good if you're happy about it." Minako said as Junpei nodded his head.

"That's right!" He said as the first bell rang. "Oh shit! We better hurry!" He said as the trio ran to the school and hurried to class. "Whoo… Made it!"

"Pipe down! Class is in session!" Barked out the teacher for classic literature, Mr. Ekoda. From that point they listened to his lecture and continued the day doing their school stuff until the end of the day.

"Yo dudes, wanna hang out a bit before going home?" Junpei asked the two.

"Sure." Minato said.

"I can't, I'm going with Yukari today."

"Okay Sissy, you two have fun." He said.

"Thanks, see you at the dorm."

"Don't talk to strange guys."

"I won't." She said as she gathered her stuff and quickly made her way over to Yukari who was waiting for her and they left the room.

"I feel sorry for your sis. Yuka-tan can be a bit demanding."

"That's just you." Minato said as he yawned. "Come on, we better get going before I start falling asleep here." Junpei laughed at that as they headed out towards the station.

xxx

With Minako, she and Yukari made their way to the Paulownia Mall, which is currently crowded with a lot of students from the school as a form of pit stop before going home.

"Have you come here before?" Yukari asked as the other girl shook her head.

"No, I haven't had time to simply walk around the area."

Yukari giggled as she explained. "Well, as you can see a lot of the students come here after school." She said as she pointed out the shops and places that were in the mall. Once they were done looking around they headed back to the dorms, where Mitsuru welcomed them back and Minato was in the lounge, looking over the text book for the reading homework that was assigned.

"Hey Sissy. Hey Takeba-san. Have fun?"

"We went to the Paulownia Mall. It's a neat place to go to after school." Minako explained as they then settled to doing their reading assignments in peace, in which Mitsuru joined in with her own book before they were sent to bed.


	5. Episode 4: Persona

Ep. 4: Persona

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/9-

The clock stoke midnight, the change happened again and the two women were in the monitoring room when the Chairman came up.

"How are they?" He asked as Mitsuru turned to face him.

"The same as last night." She said.

He nodded as he found a place to sit. "Very interesting." He said. "Even those who have the potential tend to be unstable at first. Memory loss… disorientation… But those two are rather unique. Neither one of them are exhibiting any of the common symptoms."

"But… we're treating them like guinea pigs." Yukari said, not liking what she's doing.

"I understand your concern, but it's imperative that we recruit new members." He said. "I heard they're in your class… Wouldn't you be more comfortable working with someone from the same grade? Especially one who is a female classmate at that."

"Yeah, I guess. But, still…" Yukari started to say when there was a beeping sound, which Mitsuru answered.

"Command room. Is that you Akihiko?"

"You're not gonna believe this…!" Akihiko's voice said. "This thing is huge! Unfortunately, I don't have time to talk… It's chasing me… I wanted to let you guys know. I'm almost there."

This caused everyone to look shocked.

"Does that mean… he's bringing that thing here!?" Yukari said as Mitsuru got up from her chair to look at the Chairman.

"Mr. Chairman! Let's suspend our observation for now. We'll prepare for battle!"

"R-Right! Be careful!" The Chairman said as the two young women ran out of the command room and ran down the stairs, the man following behind them just in time to see a young man entering through the doors, closing it behind him and slid down the floor, looking as though he's in pain.

"Akihiko!" Mitsuru called out as she and the other two came up to the young man.

"I'm alright." Akihiko said, holding his side but he grinned as he looked up at them. "Get ready to be surprised… it'll be here any second."

"This is no time to joke around!" Mitsuru said, a bit put off by his overly confident behavior.

"Is it one of them, Akihiko?" The Chairman asked.

"Yes, but not an ordinary one—"

There was a sudden bang the moved the whole building, making Yukari exclaim.

"What the…!? You gotta be kidding me!"

xxxxx

Meanwhile, in the twins' room, Minako woke up from the floor and looked to see that her brother was also awake. "Was that an earthquake?"

"Don't know…" He said as both of them heard some kind of commotion from down stairs. "Get dressed in something quick and you can run in with. I don't like the looks of this."

"Right!" Minako said as she took off her pajama pants to grab her school skirt, then her pajama top for her blouse and grabbed a jacket. Her brother doing the same with his school pants, shirt, and jacket by the time there was banging on the door.

"Wake up!" Yukari called out then apologized for barging in as she did.

"What's going on?" Minako asked as she got her shoes on.

"I don't have time to explain." Yukari said. "We have to get out of here, now! Hurry! Downstairs! We'll leave through the back door! Wait! Takes these, just in case." She handed Minako what looked like a naginata and Minato a knife that looked like a short sword. "Let's go! Follow me!" She said as they ran out of the room and down the stairs to the first floor, towards the back entrance. "Alright, we should be safe now." Her cell then went off and she answered it.

_"Takeba, do you read me!?"_ Mitsuru's voice was heard from the small device.

"Y-Yes! I hear you!"

_"Be careful! There's more than one enemy! The one we're fighting isn't the one Akihiko saw!"_

"What!?" She said as the door violently went inwards from the force of whoever, or whatever, banged on the door. "L-Let's pull back!" They then headed up the stairs to the second floor, where they heard glass breaking and crashing sounds were being heard around the dormitory. "What was that!? What are we going to do? They're downstairs!" She was talking to herself.

"B-Brother…" Minako said, unsure of what's going on as her hand was grabbed by her brother, giving her reassurance that he was there.

"Do we have any choice but to go further up?" Yukari said to herself as she heard something that was getting louder. "It's getting closer! Come on!" She led them up to the next floor, the whole building shaking now from whatever was outside and possibly inside as well with all the strange gurgling noises. "Keep moving! Hurry!" She called out as they continued to go further up the building until they reached to the roof top door. "O-Oh yeah! If we go out through here…" They rushed to the door, opened it, headed out, and she closed and locked the door. She then sighed in relief. "The door's locked. I think we're okay for now…"

The building continued to shake before it stopped and they looked back to see a dark hand come up to the side of the building, followed by a dozen or so more before a hand holding a light blue face mask went up and turned it as if it was really looking for something before more hands appeared holding knives as it crawled up the side of the building and seemed to crawl their way over to them.

"You gotta be kidding me. It climbed up the wall!?" Yukari said.

"What the hell…" Minato said as he held his arm out, unconsciously keeping the monster away from his sister as they were watching this mass of black arm limbs heading towards them.

"That's the thing that attacked this place…" Yukari said. "We call them Shadows!" She then sounded as though she realized what she had to do. "O-Oh yeah… I have to fight… I… I can summon mine… No problem…"

'What is she talking about?' Both siblings thought as they saw her bring out the gun they saw her with from the night they came in and point it to her forehead, shocking both of them. They saw that she was hesitating when the monster attacked, knocking her to the ground and the gun was at Minato's feet.

He picked up the gun and for a moment, time seemed to slow down for him as he seemed to have an idea of what he has to do as he put the barrel of the gun to his head. He could faintly sense the presence of his sister's worry behind him, but he suddenly felt calm and smiled as he whispered "Persona" as he pulled the trigger.

Minako wasn't sure what was going on as she saw her brother picked what should be a fake gun to his head but sensed that something was entirely different, and when she saw him pull the trigger, she saw that something that she could only describe in something out of a magic anime with the shattered glass lights going around him and a form of some kind manifesting above her brother until it was complete.

"Orpheus…" She whispered, not knowing why she said it, before she heard her brother's anguish cries as he held his head. "Brother!" she held him as she heard the creature wail out, only to have arms coming out from it, tearing it apart until something else took its place.

Minato gasped as he seemed to regain some sense as he watched the creature hacked the monster to nothing. And when it was done, it went back to being Orpheus.

"Is it over?" Yukari asked, shocked from whatever had happened when Minato passed out.

"Brother!" Minako called out as two Shadow's appeared.

"There's more!?" Yukari cried as she looked to see that Minako picked up the gun as well.

"You leave us alone!" She called out as she pulled the trigger with a cry of "Eurydice", which summoned up something similar to Orpheus, only it was obviously a female version with the longer, redder hair as she felt the strain in her own head as she called out an attack that got rid of the two shadows. She took deep breaths as she felt weak and tired as she fell down.

"Are you okay!?" Yukari was calling out as her voice seemed farther away the darker the blackness was closing in on the red eyed girl's vision. "Please! Can you hear me!? Answer me!"

xxxxx

Both siblings woke up back in the Velvet Room, sitting in the chairs they were in before, facing Igor and his assistants.

"It's so nice to see you again. You two became unconscious after awakening to your 'power'." Igor said, looking pleased. "I see both of you had Orpheus heeding to both your callings. That power is called a Persona… A manifestation of your psyche."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"A Persona is a facet of your personality that surfaces as you react to external stimuli… Think of it as a mask that protects you as you brave many hardships."

"A mask?" Minato asked this time.

"When you use your Persona ability, you must channel your inner strength. The ability evolves as you develop your emotional ties with others. The stronger the ties are, the more powerful your Persona ability. Please remember that." Igor said as he clapped his hands together. "Now, then… Time marches on in your world. I shouldn't keep you two here any longer. The next time we meet, you two will come here on your own accord. Whether together or separate, you two are guests here. Until then… Farewell…" He said as the room became dark and suddenly black.

xxxxx

-4/19-

Blue eyes and red eyes blinked as they saw a white ceiling, their minds getting clearer as Minato looked to his left to see Yukari.

"You're awake!" She said as she heard the girl's soft, strained voice. "And so are you!" She then looked a bit uncomfortable. "Um, how do you guys feel?"

"Where are we?" Minato asked, making Yukari sigh in relief.

"Thank goodness you guys finally came to. I was so worried about you…" She then pouted. "How much sleep do you guys need? It's been a whole week!"

"I asked 'where' not 'when'." Minato said, making his sister giggle, which made Yukari smile a little.

"This is Tatsumi Memorial Hospital. It's a short walk from the station. The doctor couldn't find anything wrong with either of you. He said you guys were just exhausted… But you guys kept sleeping and sleeping… You know how worried I was?"

"You're here, right? That speaks volumes." He said as he carefully got up to a sitting position. "Sissy? You doing okay?"

"Yep!" She said as she was able to sit up right as well.

"How did you get here anyway?"

"After you passed out, there were still a couple of those things around, so I took that gun and got rid of them. Seems that what did me in."

"Um…" Yukari said, gaining the siblings attention. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything… But your power… both of you… It was amazing."

"So what were those things? Exactly?" Minato asked.

"You mean the Shadows? It's what we're fighting against. And the power you guys used… We call it Persona. We'll explain everything later. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before…" She said as she got up from the chair. "I, uh… I wanted to tell you guys that… I'm sorta like you."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"My dad died in an accident when I as little… My mom and I aren't exactly on good terms…" She seemed to be considering something before continuing. "To be honest, I already know about what you guys went through. But it didn't seem fair, so I wanted you guys to know about my past… It was back in '99… there was a big explosion in the area. Supposedly, my dad died in the blast, but nobody really knows what happened… He was working in a lab run by the Kirijo Group. So, I'm hoping that if I stick around long enough, I'll find out something. That's why I'm going to Gekkoukan High and why I was there when this happened to you two." She sighed. "Of course, I panicked and wasn't that much help… It was my first time fighting them too. I'm sorry… You wouldn't have to go through all this if I wasn't such a coward…"

"Yukari, you were scared." Minako said. "It's natural to be scared. I was."

"Sissy is right on that. Any normal person would shit their pants after seeing that."

"Good thing we're not really normal, huh?" She said as that made Yukari and her brother laugh.

"Bottom line here, it's not your fault." Minato said as Yukari smiled a bit, still looking guilty.

"Thanks you two… but still…" She sighed. "And here I am telling you two all this the minute you guys wake up. While I was waiting, I thought to myself, 'I've been hiding so many things from them… As soon as they wake up, I'll tell them the truth'." She smiled gently at them, seeming relieved as if a weight was off her shoulders. "So, thanks for listening. I've been wanting to share that story with someone for a long time." She then took a deep breath and seemed to be in her cheerful self. "Alright, I'm gonna get going. I'll let the others know you woke up. So you two be good patients. And don't hesitate to call the nurse, she'll take good care of you." She started to head towards the door. "And… You don't have to be formal around me or anything. Us second-years gotta stick up for each other, after all."

The twins smiled as they nodded. "Okay Yukari." Both of them said in unison as Minako added. "See you tomorrow I hope?"

"You guys are suppose to get out by then."

"Yay! I don't like hospitals!" She said, sounding relief.

"I know how you feel. Well, bye!"

"Later Yukari." Minato said as she left the room. "That was nice of her to worry over us."

"Of course she's nice." Minako said with a smile before frowning. "But I don't want to spend another night here…" She looked restless as she bunched up her covers. "I don't like it here."

Minato looked to see that his sister was very uncomfortable, and he knew why. "It's just for one more night, Sissy. We managed to sleep in this place for a week."

"Without realizing it though." She said as she brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Toto-nii… What are we going to do now?" She looked at him. "You know… after that fight? And if that dream we're having is a real place…"

"I don't know…" He said. "But I think everyone in that dorm knows what's going on around here, so we'll ask them once we're out of here."

"You're right." She said as she sighed. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep…"

"We're going to have to try though. We missed a week's worth of school after all."

She giggled. "Tons of make-up work to do." She said as she sighed. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Yeah. And you? I don't know what happened after I passed out." He said as she filled him in on what happened as he nodded. "Well, we know that those guns aren't going to kill us."

"Yeah." She said as she laid down on her cot. "Well, good night Brother. See you in the morning."

"Yeah." He said as he smiled. "Sweet dreams Sissy." He said as they both tried to get some sleep.


	6. Episode 5: SEES and the Mysterious Boy

Ep. 5: SEES and the Mysterious Boy

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/20-

The next morning, the siblings were released from the hospital and went straight to school when they saw Junpei as he waved them down.

"Hey you two! Where've you been? I heard you guys got sick or something."

"Major stress exhaustion." Minato said. "With everything coming at us at once, our bodies just decided to just give out and went into reboot mode."

"That's rough." Junpei said. "But you two are okay now, right?"

"We wouldn't be here if we weren't." Minako said. "Sorry to worry you."

Junpei smiled as he patted her shoulder. "I'm just glad you guys are okay. It suddenly became so dull when you guys didn't show up." This caused them to laugh when Yukari came up. "Hey there Yuka-tan! Why did you arrive later than they did? Aren't you guys in the same dorm? It is because you're afraid about the rumor thing still?"

"I left a little late!" Yukari said with a sharp out take of breath. "Anyways, I need to talk to them, so… Bye-bye, Junpei."

"Whaaat?" He said as he sighed. "Fine! See you guys in class!" He waved as he headed to the school building.

"Anyway, how are you guys feeling?"

"Rested and better." Minato said.

"What he said." Minako said.

"That's good." Yukari said as she sighed. "Sorry to hit you guys with this first thing in the morning, but Ikutsuki-san want to talk to you two today."

"Okay…" Both siblings said.

"Come to the fourth floor of the dorm after school, okay? Don't forget."

"Okay." Both said again as they headed to the building before the first warning bell rung.

"Oh! I should give you guys the homework that you guys missed." Yukari said, remembering it.

"That would be great." Minako said.

"Great… Just when I feel rested too…"

"Toto-nii… Be reasonable." She said to her brother as they reached class where they have Mr. Ono, a samurai enthusiast, covering the topic of mammoths, in which he went on a rant about why they were even bother with covering the subject at all, and wanting to get to the Sengoku Era, the time of the samurai. He called out to Junpei about the houses in which Junpei looked to be in the hot seat once again, in which Minako mouthed 'mud huts' which was the right answer, making the class clown of the school sigh in relief and mouthing his thanks to her, which she simply smiled and continued their lessons.

xxxxx

When the school day was over, the twins got up and headed towards the dorm, since something was really important was going to be discussed.

"You think it's about that 'Persona' thing?" Minako asked.

"Why ask a question that has an obvious answer?" Minato said as she sighed. "We'll know what's on their minds as soon as we meet up with them." She nodded in agreement as they walked towards the dorm in silence, where they headed up the stairs to the fourth floor, where Yukari seemed to about to head down.

"Oh good, you guys are here." She said as she mentioned them to the room that looked like a large meeting room where they saw the Chairman, Mitsuru, and an unfamiliar male student.

"Ah! There you two are. I'm glad that you're okay." The Chairman said. "I wasn't sure what I'd do if anything had happened to either or both of you."

"Sorry for worrying you." Minako said as she felt nervous being in the room as she looked to see the unfamiliar male student. 'Is he Sanada Akihiko that Mitsuru-senpai mentioned a while ago?' She thought as the man continued to speak.

"The reason I asked you here is because I needed to talk to you two." The Chairman said as he mentioned them to sit. "Please, have a seat." They did as he continued to speak. "I believe I mentioned him earlier, but this is Akihiko." He mentioned towards the male student.

"How ya doin'?" Akihiko said with an easy smile. The young man wore the similar white blouse and black pants as the uniform, but he wore a red sweater vest and a black ribbon tie of some sort, and he was wearing black leather gloves. He had short, silvery-gray hair, fair skin, and storm grey eyes, where there was a bandage at the left temple.

"Pleased to meet you." Minako said as she bowed, her face feeling warm for a moment.

"Nice to meet you." Minato said as his sister straightened.

"Such nice manners." The Chairman said with some amusement before clearing his throat. "Okay, let me start off by asking you this… Would you believe me if I said that a day consists of more than twenty-four hours?"

The twins looked at the man as if he had said a lame joke before both of them shook their heads, making Mitsuru chuckle.

"I'm not surprised by your reaction. However, you've already experienced this truth first hand." She said as she looked at them. "Do you remember the night you two came here?" The twins did remember as they nodded. "You had to have noticed the signs… The streetlights went out… Nothing was working… There were coffins everywhere… Didn't it fell like you were in a different time?"

"It was definitely different..." Minato said.

"I remember the uncomfortable silence." Minako said. "It almost felt like some messed up ghost town story setting."

"That's the Dark Hour…" Mitsuru continued. "A time period hidden between one day and the next."

"Huh? Hidden?" Minako said as Minato added "Between?" before he shook his head.

"I don't really understand…"

"I guess it's more like something people aren't aware of." The Chairman said. "But the Dark Hour does exist. It occurs each night at midnight. It'll happen tonight, and every night to come."

"Normal people don't realize it," Akihiko said "since they're all sleeping inside their coffins. But that's not what makes the Dark Hour so interesting." He started sounding excited, as if revving up to fight an opponent. "You saw those creatures. We call them 'Shadows'. They only appear during the Dark Hour and attack anyone not in a coffin. It's our job to defeat them. Sounds exciting, huh?"

At this Mitsuru got up from her seat, looking displeased, and a bit ticked off by the senior boy's behavior. "Akihiko! Why are you always like that? You just got hurt the other day!" She lectured, making the other senior looked a bit put off by that reminder.

"Now, now. He does his work well." The Chairman said as Mitsuru sat back down and he cleared his throat as he looked at the twins. "Long story short… We're the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad—SEES for short. On paper, we're classified as a school club. But in reality, this group is dedicated to defeating the Shadows. Mitsuru is the leader. I'm the club advisor."

"Okay, good to know." Minato said as Minako added on.

"So… what do these Shadows do exactly that had to be rid of?"

"A Shadow feeds on the mind of its prey; the victim becomes a living corpse." Mitsuru explained. "They're responsible for most of the incidents on the news, if not all of them."

"Okay, so… stupid question here with obvious answer, how do we fight them?" Minato asked.

"Although rare, there are those who can function during the Dark Hour." The Chairman said. "Some may even awaken to a power that enables them to fight the Shadows. That's 'Persona'—the power you used the other night. The Shadows can only be defeated by Persona-users. Which means, it's all up to you guys."

"I figured that's what it boils down to." Minato said as the man chuckled.

"I'm glad you're quick to understand."

Mitsuru got up from where she sat and opened a metal case that was on the long coffee table and moved it around to see two red armbands and two of those guns at the twins. "What he's trying to say is, we want you to join us. We've prepared an Envoker for you two. We'd like you to lend us your strength." She said.

The twins looked at each other, doing different facial expressions as they seemed to be talking without speaking, giving everyone in the room a sense of wonder and slight anxiety. Minato tilted his head to the side, as if asking what Minako thought about this sudden proposal. Minako pouted her lip out a bit, as if contemplating of it before she tilted her head to the side, as if asking the same thing to him. He shrugged his shoulders as he tilted his head to the opposite side, as if being affirmative about something, but making sure. She straightened herself as she smiled and nodded, which he nodded in affirmative as both looked at Mitsuru. "Alright." Both said in unison, hearing the relieved sigh from Yukari.

"I was afraid you'd say no…" She said with a smile. "Welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much." The Chairman said. "I'm really glad. Oh, I almost forgot… About your room assignment… Why don't you just stay here, in your current room… Oh… wait… you two still share a room."

"I've already made an arrangement for the room they're in now so both can stay and still have the privacy." Mitsuru put in.

"Wait, they share a room?" Akihiko asked, surprised by the news.

"If you stayed around instead of going out every night you would know this a week prior." Mitsuru said with a bit of a glare that seemed to freeze anyone unfortunate to find themselves in.

"I get it, I get it…" The senior boy said as he slightly backed away.

'Mitsuru-senpai is scary when pushed.' Minako thought as Minato felt a shiver from just looking at that glare.

The man chuckled. "I should've known! Well, I don't know what the holdup is, but I guess it worked out in the end."

"Holdup?" Yukari questioned. "But, wasn't that…" she sighed. "Nevermind…" She said as she and the others start to get up to head out of the room.

While that was going on, the twins heard a voice in their minds as well as felt something stir within them, recalling what Igor said about ties to people and wondered if this is what the strange man was talking about.

"Well! It's getting late! We should all get some sleep." The Chairman said.

Minato yawned. "Man… Just one thing after another, huh Sissy?" He asked as his sister giggled as they reached to the third level of the building.

"But now we know we won't have a dull moment here."

"Yeah… but still…" He said as she poked his cheek.

"None of that Brother." She said with a giggle. "Well! Let's get some sleep. We have some unpacking to do, now that we know we're staying." They both headed to the door to their room.

"I've already done that for you while you two were recovering." Mitsuru said as she was outside of her own door as Yukari was about to enter hers. "But feel free to arrange your room as you see fit."

"Thank you Mitsuru-senpai. You didn't have to…" Minako said, truly touched by this.

"Thank you Senpai. We'll see you in the morning then." Minato said as both bowed and entered the room, only to see that the room changed a lot.

There were now two beds side by side with a small night stand in-between them, and all of their stuff was out and arranged in an orderly fashion that took the twins by surprised. They also noticed that there were some ornate dividing screens for further privacy use when needed.

"Will it suffice?" Mitsuru asked, curiosity was nagging at her to make sure the siblings were okay with what had happened to their room.

"This is perfect!" Minako said happily. "Thank you so much Mitsuru-senpai!"

"This is great." Minato said with a thankful smile. "No one has ever done this for us before."

Mitsuru blushed as she smiled gratefully at them. "I'm glad you two like what has been done. Rest well, then." She said as she turned to head back to her room.

The twins entered their room and got ready to bed.

"We're really lucky to be here." Minako said suddenly with a smile.

Minato looked at his sister from across his bed, both sharing a knowing look as he smiled and nodded. "Yeah, we really did luck out by being here." He said as they knew that they're in a dorm that they feel that they belong in somehow and that their dorm mates were the kind of people they really want to be around with and, for the first time since before their parent's death, they felt free to be who they want to be. "Good night Sissy."

"Good night Brother." With that they got comfortable in their new beds and fell deep into sleep.

xxxxx

When the time hit midnight and the Dark Hour came in, both stirred when they felt a presence other than themselves.

"Hi, how are you?"

Both woke up to the voice of the boy and looked to see that it was the same boy that they met the very first night they arrived at the dorm.

"Who are you? And how did you get in here?" Minato asked, a bit shocked to see the boy here.

The boy chuckled. "We've met before. Soon, the end will come." He said, making the siblings look surprised. "I remembered, so I thought I should tell you two."

"The end?" Minako voiced as the boy kept the smile on his face.

"The end of everything."

Both siblings looked at each other, shocked to hear that just moments after they felt that everything was finally falling into place for them.

"But to be honest," the boy said as his smile turned to a confused pout "I don't really know what it is." He tilted his head as his smile returned. "Oh, looks like you've awaked to your power… and an unusual power it is. A power that takes many forms, yet is bound by none. It may prove to be your salvation, depending on where you end up." He said as he disappeared, only to end up sitting on the nightstand between the siblings. "Do you remember when we first met?" He asked as he smiled at the two of them as he chuckled. "I expect you two to honor your commitment." He disappeared again to be in-between the foots of the beds. "I'll be watching you, even if you forget about me… Okay then, see you two later." He waved as he disappeared.

The siblings stared at the spot that the boy once stood before looking at each other.

"The end… of everything?" Minako questioned.

Minato shook his head. "That could be anything, Sissy. Just go back to sleep." He said with a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it, we have much bigger things to think about. Like that homework we still have to make up."

Minako sighed as she nodded. "You're right." She said as she went to sleep, not as easily as she did before the boy showed up.

Minato followed suit, but he was also having difficulty getting back to sleep as questions start to plant themselves in his mind.


	7. Episode 6: New Member, Junpei!

Ep. 6: New Member, Junpei!

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/21-

The next morning, the twins and Yukari were heading to the school when Yukari stopped them for a moment.

"Um… Thanks about yesterday." Yukari said as she looked troubled. "Akihiko-senpai's injured too, and I'm really uneasy about working alone with Mitsuru-senpai…"

"No problem." Minato said. "Let's do our best."

"You can leave it to us to help you out." Minako said.

Yukari giggled, looking relieved. "Yeah! Let's do our best together!" She said as she seemed determined.

'She looks cute when she's determined about something.' Minato thought, stating a fact as Yukari sighed.

"But I wonder when Senpai's injury is going to heal?"

"I'm guessing a few weeks to a couple months." Minato said. "Isn't that the usual time for injuries?"

"Unless he broke something, then it will be more than a couple months." Minako said as she looked at Yukari. "Do you know what Sanada-senpai's injury is?"

"Oh yeah, he has a couple busted ribs from what I heard." Yukari informed. "It doesn't seem to be too serious though so it might only be for a month. He said that wasn't a major injury…"

"Sounds like he lives to fight, doesn't he?" Minato said.

"Yeah, don't ask me why." Yukari said with a sigh. "He is the champion of the boxing team at this school, so I think he gets a thrill of a fight."

Minato shrugged. "Not entirely a bad thing, since we are going to be fighting in the near future." He said. "And he seems like a reliable guy, especially since Sissy is involved as well."

"Brother! I'm standing right here!" Minako said, blushing.

"So?" He said as they reached to their class before the first bell, where they took their seats and did their day's worth of lessons.

Xxxxx

Afterschool, Yukari came up to them, with a yawn. "I thought I was gonna fall asleep in there…"

"I know Brother was about to enter dreamland." Minako said as she poked her drowsy brother. "Do I have to go out and buy coffee for you to keep you awake? We got a ton of homework to do tonight you know." She lectured.

"I know, I know…" Minato said as they were talking about what they were going to do when Mitsuru came into the room and headed up to them.

"Can I have a minute?" She asked as she looked at them nodded. "Come to the lounge when you get back to the dorm. I have something to tell everyone. I'll save the details for later. See you there." And with that she left the room, leaving the juniors a bit dumbstruck.

"That was fast…" Minato said.

"She's probably busy with things like Student Council, unlike us." Yukari said, a hint of something in her tone that somewhat gave away some kind of spite.

"Whoa, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said as he came up behind them. "Do I sense some hostility?"

"Well, it's not that I don't like her… She's just…" Yukari seemed to have trouble explaining herself as she shook her head. "Nevermind. Let's go." She mentioned them to follow her.

xxxxx

At the Iwatodai Strip Mall, Yukari sighed as she looked at Minako, while the guys were ahead of them, laughing at some inappropriate joke between them. "A-About earlier…" She started. "It's not that I don't like her or anything, y'know?" She looked to see her waiting for her to continue. "I'm talking about Mitsuru-senpai…" She sighed as if annoyed as she glared at the boys ahead of them. "Why's Junpei always have to talk about stuff that isn't any of his business, huh!? Plus, he says it all in the creepiest, most perverted way. He's like the poster boy for sexual harassment."

Minako was about to cut in to defend her friend, but it was clear that she was changing what seems like a very personal topic between her and their senpai as she listened to her complain about Junpei.

When they were nearing the dorm, Junpei parted ways from them, seeming excited about something and ran a different path then they took and the trio shrugged their shoulders and continued on to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived, they saw Mitsuru in the lounge, welcoming them back.

"Akihiko will be here shortly." She said as the man himself opened the door. "Perfect timing."

"Good to know." He said as he looked to see the trio. "There's someone I wanna introduce to you guys." He looked back out. "Hey! Hurry up!"

"Hold your horses… This is freakin' heavy." Called back a familiar voice as Junpei entered the dorm with bags and a large rolling suitcase before he looked up and smiled. "Hey! Wazz up?"

"J-Junpei!?" Yukari exclaimed as she pointed to him while looking at her male senior. "Why is HE here!?" She then looked surprised as Junpei was putting down his bags he was carrying. "Wait… don't tell me…" The color seemed to have left her face.

"This is Iori Junpei from Class 2-F. He'll be staying here as of today."

"He's staying HERE!? You've gotta be kidding me!" Yukari exclaimed as Minato and Minako smiled and welcomed him, which Junpei thanked them.

"I bumped into him the other night." Akihiko explained. "He has the potential, but he just awakened to it recently. I told him about us, and he agreed to help."

"You have the potential!? For real!?" Yukari said as she faced incredulously at Junpei.

"He found me cryin' like a baby at the convenience store, surround by a bunch of coffins." Junpei said with a shrug of his shoulders as he scratched the back of his neck. "I don't remember much, but… man, that's embarrassing! He said that's, ya know, completely normal… in the beginning. Like, bein' confused and not remembering anything. Did ya guys know that?"

"Yeah, but Sissy and I did okay." Minato said as Junpei shrugged.

"Big deal, everyone's different." Junpei said as he sighed. "But man, I was shocked to find out about you guys. I had no idea." He smiled. "I'm glad I'm not the only one. It could get kinda lonely, ya know. I bet you're stocked too, right!? Havin' me join…"

"Yeah man." Minato said as he smiled. "It's good to have you aboard."

"I'm still shocked about this, but I'm glad!" Minako said, obviously happy about this.

"Huh?" Yukari said as she sighed. "Y-Yeah…"

"So anyway, glad to join the team." Junpei said with a grin.

"We're glad you did. I don't feel like the only junior guy in the group now." Minato teased, making Junpei laugh while his sister playfully punched his arm.

"Let's do our best!" Minako said as Junpei seemed to beam.

"You can count on me!"

Akihiko grinned at the sight as he spoke. "Well, enough with the introductions. I think we're about ready…"

"Ready?" The twins said in unison.

"Ooh, we're gonna do somethin'?" Junpei asked, looking very excited like a child in a candy store. "Sweetness!"

"What?" Yukari said as she faced Akihiko.

"With this many people, we can start exploring that place."

"You mean… Tartarus…" Yukari said, confusing the other three in the room.

"Tartarus…? What's that?" Junpei asked. "Sounds like toothpaste."

Akihiko looked at Junpei as he explained. "We believe we can find the reason for the Dark Hour there."

"I hope so…" Yukari said with a sigh as Akihiko looked at them.

"The Chairman will give us the details tonight, so be ready." He said as he headed towards the stairs.

"There should be a room for Iori in the second floor. The problems in that room are fixed." Mitsuru said.

"Okay…" Yukari said as she mentioned Junpei to follow her.

"Hey, let us help you with your things." Minato said as Junpei was gathering his bags up again. "You're going to get hurt if you try to drag all that stuff."

"Brother's right, there's no elevator here." Minako said as she held out her hand for a bag.

"Oh, thanks guys." Junpei said as he handed his carry-on bags to the twins as he dragged his suitcase. "I'm glad at least you guys are happy I'm here. Seems Yuka-tan isn't."

"She's just gonna have to get used to it." Minato said.

"Man! This is so sweet! I get to hang with you guys more often now!"

Minako giggled. "Yeah! But Brother and I have a ton of homework to do at the moment."

"Oh yeah, because of you guys being in the hospital. Wait… Does that mean you guys got hurt?"

"Not really." Minato said. "We were awoken to our powers and we exhausted ourselves that we were out for a week."

"I see. Well! You guys don't have to worry! Since I'm gonna be in the group, I'll make sure you guys don't get too out of breath!"

"We'll do the same for you to." Minako said. "We're a team now." They made it to the door that Yukari was waiting in front of and helped him put his stuff into the room before heading to their room to wait for the Chairman to arrive.

xxxxx

Some hours later, Mitsuru mentioned them to come up to the fourth floor and they headed up there to see the Chairman and Akihiko already there.

"Okay, everybody's here." The Chairman said as they sat down. "I'd like your undivided attention. For a long time, Mitsuru and Akihiko were the only Persona-users we had. But that number recently jumped to six. Therefore… Starting tonight at twelve a.m., I'd like to commence the exploration of Tartarus."

"Sorry…" Junpei said. "I asked this already, but what's this Tartarus thing again?"

Yukari grinned. "You haven't seen it, Junpei?"

"Hm?"

"It's no surprise," The Chairman said "since it only appears during the Dark Hour."

"The Dark Hour…?"

"Just like the Shadows…" Akihiko said with a grin. "Interesting, huh? And it's the perfect place for us to train. You can think of it as a Shadow nest."

"A nest?" Minato said.

"Whoa… Their nest, huh?" Junpei said, seeming to like the idea.

"But, Senpai… what about your injury?" Yukari asked.

"Since Akihiko hasn't fully recovered yet," Mitsuru said in an authorative tone that's directed at the other senior "he'll only come as far as the entrance." She gave him a look to make her point.

"Yeah, I know." He said, a bit annoyed of the reminder.

"Relax, I've got your backs." Junpei said, getting up from his seat in excitement.

"I'm not so sure about this…" Yukari said.

"I do." The twins said, which Junpei said that they were awesome.

"What about you, Mr. Chairman?" Mitsuru asked the man.

"I'll stay here." He said as he sighed. "As you know, I can't summon a Persona."

"Alright…" Mitsuru said as she faced everyone. "I'll let everyone know when we're heading out. You're all dismissed for the time being."

"Sweet!" Junpei said as everyone exited out of the command room. "Yo, Minato, wanna play some games while we wait?"

"I got one set of homework problems to finish up." Minato said. "And after that I'll be caught up."

"Oh right, that's cool man. I'm guessing Ko-tan is also busy as well, huh?"

Minako nodded. "Sorry…"

"Hey it's cool. We'll play together some other time." He said as he chuckled. "But man I'm so psyched about tonight! I don't think I'll be able to stand still."

"Want to join us then? You can finish up some homework while we wait." Minako said. "At least it will be out of the way."

"Nah, that's cool." Junpei said as Yukari sighed.

"You might want to take up on that, Junpei. You don't have the best grades in the world…"

"C'mon Yuka-tan…" He whined as they spent the next few hours doing their thing until they were summoned to join their seniors out of the dorm and walked to their school.


	8. Episode 7: Tartarus

Ep. 7: Tartarus

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid/ Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/21-

"This is it? THIS is the place?" Junpei said as he and the twins looked lost. "Why HERE?"

"Just wait a few minutes…" Akihiko said as he took out his cell. "It's almost midnight."

Minato looked at his watch to see that the long hand moved on top of the twelve and the shift in the atmosphere changed dramatically before feeling a rumble under his feet, which his sister grabbed hold of his jacket sleeve as they watched the school transform into something that looked like an abstract tower out of some surrealistic painting.

"Oh… my…" Minako said, unable to believe what she's seeing.

"This is Tartarus – the labyrinth that reveals itself during the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said to the shocked junior trio, since Yukari seemed to have seen it already.

"Labyrinth?" Junpei said, still shocked to see the transformation of the school. "What are you talking about? What happened to our school!?"

"Once the Dark Hour passes, everything returns to normal." Mitsuru said calmly.

"This is the 'nest' you were talking about!?" He said as he pointed at the building. "But, why!? Why'd our school turn into a giant tower!?"

Mitsuru looked away as she was silent.

"You don't know either?"

"No."

"I'm sure it's complicated." Yukari said. "Who cares anyway? It's not like it would change our minds about fighting."

"Well, maybe now we'll find out." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru and I have only gone into take a peek; this will be our first time exploring it." He looked excited by the thought of it. "Exciting, isn't it? There has to be some sort of clue in here about the Dark Hour…" He looked at the tower as Mitsuru sighed.

"Akihiko. I respect your enthusiasm, but you won't be accompanying us today."

"I know… You don't have to remind me." He said, glaring dully at her, which didn't have any emotion behind it.

"Well, let's head on in then." Mitsuru said as she led the way, followed by Akihiko then the rest.

xxxxx

When they entered the tower, they saw that the inside entrance was large and highly decorated with a flight of stairs leading up to what look like gears of a clock with an opening for them to go through.

"Whoa… It's just as cool on the inside." Junpei said.

"But, it sure is creepy…" Yukari said.

"Definitely not in our normal school anymore." Minato said as he looked at his sister. "You okay Sissy?"

"Yes, I'm okay. Just amazed at the change here."

"This is only the entrance." Mitsuru said as she faced them. "They labyrinth lies beyond the doorway at the top of the stairs." She pointed to the opening of the clock-like entryway.

"First, we'll have you four get a feel for this place." Akihiko said. "Why don't you go have a look around."

"What!? By ourselves?" Yukari exclaimed.

"We're not asking you to go very far," Mitsuru said "and I'll be feeding you information from here."

"Huh? How would you do that?" Minako asked, making Mitsuru smile.

"That's my Persona's ability."

"We're also going to appoint a leader to make any necessary decisions." Akihiko added.

"For real?" Junpei said. "One of us?" He seemed excited. "Oh! Oh! Me me me! Pick me!"

Akihiko looked at Junpei with hardly any emotion as he pointed to Minato. "You're in charge."

"Huh?" Both junior guys said.

"But he doesn't look like a leader!" Junpei said.

"But he HAS fought them before." Yukari said.

"Oh right…" Junpei said.

"Him and Minako did." Yukari added.

"That's true, but there's another reason." Akihiko said as he took out the Envoker and placed it to his head. "You two… Can you summon your Persona without any difficulties, like them?"

"Y-Yeah! Of course I can!" Junpei said, looking determined.

"I think so." Yukari said, seeming a bit surer than the last time.

"These are Shadows we're talking about here. Without your Persona, you're screwed."

"I'm aware of that." Yukari said.

"Well, you guys ready?" He asked Minato.

"It's just for us to get the feel for fighting, right?" Minato asked.

"That's right."

Minato looked at his sister, who was holding onto the naginata that Yukari gave her that night when the Shadow attacked. "You up for this?"

Minako nodded. "I'm ready to go!"

Minato looked back up and shrugged. "We're ready."

Akihiko chuckled at this. "That's the spirit you two." He said as he looked at the two. "You guys take care of each other in there."

They were about to reach the entry when the twins noticed something from the corner of their eyes and saw a blue door, which they walked up to it and Minato used his Velvet key to open the door and they found themselves in the Velvet Room.

xox

"I've been waiting for you." Igor said with his fox-like cunning smile. "The time has come for you to wield your power. The tower that you are about to venture into… How did it come to be? For what purpose does it exist? Regrettably, you are not yet capable of answering these questions. That is why you must be made aware of the nature of your power."

"Nature of our power?" Minako asked, confused by this.

"Your power is unique. It's like the number zero… It's empty, but at the same time holds infinite possibilities. Both of you are able to possess multiple Personas and summon them as needed. And when you have defeated your enemies, you will see the faces of possibility before you. There may be times when they are difficult to grasp… But do not fear. Seize what you have earned. Your power will grow accordingly… Be sure to keep that in mind." He leaned back in his chair, still smiling. "My spare time will soon be scarce. But, please come again of your own accord. I'll tell you then about my true role… the manner in which I can best assist you. Until then… Farewell."

xox

The twins exited out of the door, only to see that the rest of the group was looking at them funny.

"Hey, are you two alright?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, what's up? You two look like a couple of zombies." Junpei added.

"We opened this door and-" Minako started.

"Huh? What door?" Yukari said as she didn't see anything there.

"Uh… I don't see any door."

"Have you two been nodding off?" Yukari said, looking at them carefully. "You guys seem out of it."

"Dude, you're s'posed to be our leader." Junpei said as he knocked on Minato's forehead. "Get your head in the game!"

Minato swatted the hand away. "Okay, sorry. Not used to staying up so late."

Junpei simply shrugged. "Don't worry! I got your covered whenever you need it, man!"

"Thanks man." Minato said.

"Come on! If nothing's wrong, then let's get going." Yukari said as she grabbed Minako.

"Hey! Don't drag Sissy!" Minato said as they headed up the stairs.


	9. Episode 8: First Tartarus Run

Ep.8: First Tartarus Run

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/21-

When they entered through the entry way, they were met with a dark hallway bathed in an eerie green glow and blood-like stains on the floors and walls that looked like their school hallways.

"So, this is it, huh?" Junpei said as he has his weapon out, a sword similar to Minato's.

"I hope I don't get lost…" Yukari said.

"As long as we stay together and keep an eye on each other's whereabouts, that wouldn't be a problem." Minato said.

"_Can you all hear me?"_ Mitsuru's voice was heard.

"Whoa! Is that you, Senpai?" Junpei said.

"_I'll be providing audio backup from here on out."_

"Wait… Ya mean, you can see inside here?" Junpei was a bit lost.

"_It's my Persona's ability. I'd like to join you, but the structure of Tartarus changes from day to day. That's why outside support is imperative."_

"Well, THAT makes me fell a whole lot better…" Yukari said sarcastically.

"_Now, based on your current location, you can expect to encounter enemies at any minute. They shouldn't be too tough, but proceed with caution. Practice makes perfect."_

"Right!" Junpei said.

"Got it!" Yukari said.

"Okay, we understand." Minato said as the connection seemed to go down for the moment.

"Why is she always like that…?" Yukari said, which Minako caught as they started moving.

"The Chairman did say that both Senpais have done this for quite some time… It's probably just experience that's talking. After all this is our first time here and all."

"Ah… right…" Yukari said as she blushed out of embarrassment.

"You two okay back there?" Minato said.

"We're okay." Minako said as she and Yukari caught up with the guys when Mitsuru came back up, telling them their first mission: rid all the Shadows from the floor they're currently on.

"_Watch out!"_ Mitsuru said when they turned a corner. _"I detect a Shadow in front of you!"_

Minato and the others strained their eyes to see a small mass of something dark crawling around, not sensing them.

"_Move in and hit it before it notices your presence."_

"Right." Minato said quietly as he held his hand up as he waited until the Shadow moved away from them and he mentioned them to keep up as he ran to the Shadow and attacked it before it could turn around. "Mitsuru-senpai! Analyze!"

"_Roger!"_ Mitsuru said as Minato took out his Envoker and called upon Orpheus to do Agi on the Shadow, which turns out that the Shadow was weak against fire attacks.

"Hey!" Yukari called out. "We can all attack it at once when it's down!"

"_Takeba is right, but it's still your call."_

"Then let's do it!" Minato as everyone ganged up on it, which made it disappear.

"Alright!" Yukari said.

"We defeated our first Shadow!" Junpei said, smiling like he won the lottery.

"This is my second time." Minato said.

"This is my third, but still exciting." Minako said as Mitsuru congratulated them and her brother mentioned to continue, in which Mitsuru told them that they will come across some stairs, their means of moving up but to not do more than what they needed to tonight.

"_I detect another Shadow not too far from you!"_ Mitsuru said as they turned a few corners and saw a similar looking mass crawling around at the end of the hall.

Minato timed it right as he moved and he summoned Orpheus once more and used Agi on the two Shadows and did an all out attack on them ending the battle easily.

"Man this is too easy!" Junpei said.

"That's only because Minato weaken them for us." Yukari said.

"They're also just small fries." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "Why don't you try summoning Eurydice in the next fight."

"Really?"

Minato nodded. "I want you to gain experience of this as well in case something happens."

Minako nodded. "Okay!"

Minato looked at the other two. "And you guys will have a chance as well. I have a feeling that this is more like a tutorial than an actual fight."

"Yeah… kinda lame, but we have to start somewhere." Junpei said. "But I have to admit, even though we haven't had a chance to use our Personas, I feel like I've gotten stronger…"

"Me too." Yukari said.

"That's because you guys fought, and that experience goes to your Personas." Minako said.

"Let's continue moving. Let's see how far we can improve tonight."

"Right!" The group said as they continued on.

They found the stairs, but they went the opposite direction to find four Shadows in the largest room on the level they were on and they jumped in.

"Eurydice!" Minako called out as she got her Envoker out and her Persona came out as it did Agi, when an idea came to mind. "Junpei, you get your Persona out and finish them off with a swift attack after I attack!"

"You got it!" Junpei said as he took his Envoker out and summoned Hermes, which after Minako's attack, Hermes swoops in to finish the Shadow off.

"Sissy! Watch out!" Minato called as a Shadow rushed up to her, only to be shot down by Yukari's arrow.

"Now's your chance, Minato!"

"Right!" He said as he got his Persona out once more and finished the Shadow.

Soon all of them got rid of the four Shadows.

"Now that's what I'm talking!" Junpei said as he wrapped an arm around Minako. "We now know those guys don't stand a chance with Agi, but when you told me to use Hermes, you don't know how happy I was to take that order!"

"It's brilliant, really." Minato said as he smiled proudly. "Just goes to show that it's good to have a different tactic. I'm glad I let you take the first attack."

Minako blushed. "Thanks Brother…"

Minato then looked at Yukari. "And thanks for helping Sissy, Yukari-chan, I wouldn't have made a move if you didn't stun it long enough for me to rid of it."

"Oh! You're welcome." Yukari said as she blushed. "I mean, we are a team and teammates have to work together, right?"

"Thank you Yukari! I didn't even see that Shadow coming at me!" Minako said with a happy smile.

Yukari blushed more as she looked glad. "Not a problem!" She said when Mitsuru contacted them.

"_That's odd…"_ She started to say. _"Usually there are more Shadows on the prowl."_

"We probably scared the rest of them off when they found out how badass we are!" Junpei said with a laugh.

"_Well, at least you gained some experience in battle. Let's go back to the dorm for today."_

"Okay, just one problem…" Minato said as he looked around. "I think we're totally lost."

Mitsuru chuckled at that. _"There should be an access point somewhere on that floor."_

"Access point?" Minako asked.

"_You can use that to return to the entrance. Since there aren't any enemies to worry about, why don't you split up and search individually?"_

"As long as you let us know any surprises, we'll do that." Minato said as he looked at the others. "Okay, we're going to split up and look for that access point."

"Roger!" Junpei said as they went their separate ways and it didn't take them long until Yukari found the access point and they regrouped from there and used the object that transported them back to the entrance and found themselves back where they started before entering the labyrinth.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said with a proud smile on her face. "So, how was it?"

"It was no problem for me and Sissy." Minato said as Minako nodded. "She actually did quite well fighting. I never knew she had it in her."

"T-Toto-nii!" Minako said with a blush.

"I'm only saying the truth."

Mitsuru chuckled. "I see. Well if you gained confidence, that's the best thing you could have achieved."

"Wow…" Junpei said. "I never knew I had that kind of power!" He sighed as his shoulders slumped. "But damn, I'm beat…"

"That's cuz you were bouncin' around like a little kid." Yukari said, but she looked out a breath.

"You look pretty tired yourself, Yuka-tan." Junpei pointed out.

"I'm still trying to catch my breath, actually…" She said.

"That's the effect of the Dark Hour; you'll become fatigued more easily." Mitsuru explained. "Don't worry, though, you'll adapt. But, I'm surprised… You all did much better than I expected." She looked to Akihiko. "At this rate, they'll catch up to you in no time, Akihiko."

The male senior grinned in amusement. "We'll see about that."

While they were discussing amongst themselves, the twins felt the stirring in their souls, much like what happened yesterday when they agreed to join SEES. They looked at each other, knowing that they were feeling the bond they have to their new friends, making them smile and they couldn't help but laugh a bit, making everyone else look at them.

"Uh… did we miss a joke or something?" Junpei asked.

"N-No… It's a twin thing." Minako said as Minato calmed down.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to collapse." Minato said as he moved to the side to where his sister is, who reacted by steadying him. "Carry me back?"

"Making your own little sister carry you? What's wrong with you?" She said playfully.

"You two are a couple of characters." Yukari said as Mitsuru mentioned that they should head back to the dorm and made their way out.

"Enjoy it, because tomorrow we'll be a couple zombies." Minato said as they followed the red head out of the building and out passed the gates when the hour stroke one in the morning and the tower reverted back to being a school. "This is definitely not something we have to do every night, right?" He looked to Mitsuru.

"That's correct. Although it is our duty to rid of the Shadows, we're still students and have to put in our time to study and rest to be able to function normally."

"Good to know." He said as they made their way to the dorms where they slept for a few hours.


	10. Episode 9: A Normal Day?

Ep. 9: A Normal Day…?

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/22-

Minako sighed as she went into the monorail alone.

"_You go ahead, Sissy, I'll be right behind you."_ Minato said to her earlier this morning as she got him up finally and had to leave him to get ready as she was already dressed.

She sighed as she couldn't find Yukari at the dorm, and she was able to wake up Junpei as well and was sure that her brother and Junpei will end up running into class. She walked out of the monorail as she yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes when she heard a familiar voice call out a "Morning" to her and she looked to see Akihiko.

"Good morning, Senpai." She said as he walked in step with her.

"I didn't know that we were on the same train." Akihiko said. "But man… things have been real crazy these past few days." He looked at her with some concern. "Are you all right? You must be confused since you and your brother just transferred here."

She blushed as she nodded. "It does seem a bit sudden for me and Brother… so I guess I'm kinda confused…" She said as he chuckled.

"Well, of course you are." He said with a smile that wasn't overly confident like he usually showed when talking about fighting Shadows. "I want to say that I'll take over your position, but I can't." He sighed. "Man, I'm so bored that I feel like I'm dying."

"Your injury?"

"Yeah…" He said, showing his annoyance at the hindrance. "I can't do any training for some time."

"Well you don't want to make it worse."

"That's true, but still…" He said as he shook his head. "Anyway, your brother did a good job leading you guys last night… but I also saw how you fought off those Shadows. And then when you took command in that last fight," He smiled proudly. "That was pretty impressive."

She blushed as she giggled nervously. "I was only doing my part to help out… It's just natural, right?"

He placed a hand on her head. "Hey, don't talk like that. I can see you have potential in a lot of ways, so I don't ever want to hear you say things like that again. Understood?"

"Y-Yes, S-Senpai…" She said as her heart started to pound harder.

"Keep that in mind, alright?" He said as he took his hand off her head. "You know that today's the assembly, right?"

"Oh, right..." She said as they entered the building, which she noticed a lot of the girls started to glare at their direction, but didn't think much of it.

"Might as well head over there now, since we're here." He said as they headed to the auditorium and parted ways to find their class.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minato was heading towards the school gates when a classmate from his class got his attention and headed over to talk to him.

"Hey, you're Minato, right?"

"That's me."

"I heard from Junpei that you're pretty close with Yukari-chan." The guy said and continued before Minato could clear something up. "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. I'm looking for someone with a little more experience anyway."

'What the hell?' Minato thought as the guy smiled.

"By the way, I'm Tomochika Kenji." He said with a smile. "There's a morning assembly, so we better hurry."

"Oh, that's today?"

"Yeah man, where've you been?"

"Behind my eyelids." He said making the guy laugh.

"Yeah, mornings are a pain." Kenji agreed as they headed to the auditorium.

xxxxx

"That concludes the main portion of today's assembly." Said a student up on the podium on the stage. "Next, we'll hear a word from the Student Council. Please welcome the new President, Kirijo Mitsuru, from Class 3-D."

"Thank you." Mitsuru said as she walked up to the podium.

"So, she did get elected." Yukari said as she and Minako sat next to each other. "Well… I guess she IS the most popular girl in school."

"You can say that again!" Junpei said as he looked back from behind, being in front of Minako as Minato was next to him. "There's like some kinda aura around her… Besides, this school's owned by the Kirijo Group, right?"

"I try not to think about that…" Yukari said as Minako heard that as Mitsuru started to speak.

"As I begin my term as Student Council President, I'd like to share with you my vision for this coming year. It is my firm belief that each of us must accept the responsibility of bettering our school. However, change cannot occur without sustained effort and an unprecedented level of commitment. That is why we must restructure our daily lives to accommodate this lofty goal. I'd like each of you to dig deeply into your well of motivation, and re-evaluate your convictions… To imagine a bold new future without losing sight of the realities around you. That is the key. I am certain that many of you have your own visions of the future… For us to reap the full benefits of our education, your participation, ideas, and enthusiasm are essential. Thank you." She ended, causing the auditorium to applause.

"Dang… That was freakin' amazing…" Junpei said as he turned towards Minato. "Hey, did you understand what she was talking about?"

"Kinda…" Minato said as Minako giggled.

"I understood what she said."

"Huh? Seriously? Man, you're smart…" Junpei said as he looked back forward. "Sure didn't sound like somethin' a high schooler would say…" He grinned. "If it was anyone else, we'd be laughin' our asses off." And soon everyone was filing up to get to class.

xxxxx

When class ended for the day, the twins got up and were heading out of the school building, talking about what they should do before they heard a commotion.

"Look, it's Akihiko-senpai!" Cried out a girl as the said young man was about to head out, only to be surrounded by a group of girls, which he seemed to tolerate the attention. "Wait for us!"

"He's popular." Minato said as Junpei went up to them.

"Have you noticed how popular Akihiko-san is with the ladies? Man, take a look at that…"

"We can see, Junpei." Minato said.

"Do they always do that?" Minako asked.

"You kidding? They're his fans, they're always swarming him like that." Junpei said. "I know he's the captain of the boxing team, but… Who would've thought he'd be a chick magnet? I mean, come on! You don't even see girls flock like that one TV!"

"Looks annoying after a while." Minato said.

"Yeah, well, I didn't used to talk to him much, but now I've got a good excuse." Junpei said as he smiled in a way that made the twins sweat drop.

"I don't think knowing the boxing captain is going to get you a girl." Minato pointed out.

"Huh? I wonder where they're going?" Junpei asked, not hearing what Minato said as Akihiko and the group started to move before the senior noticed them.

"Hey, you guys free this afternoon?" Akihiko asked.

"Huh? Who, us!?" Junpei said as he smiled. "Hell yeah! What do ya have in mind?"

'Oh boy…' The twins thought as they looked over at the senior.

"We're free as well." Minato said.

"I want you three to meet me at the Paulownia Mall. You know where it is, right? I'll be at the police station. See ya there."

"Th-The police station?" Junpei was confused. "Uh, are your friends gonna come along, too?" He pointed out to the group of girls behind the senior now, glaring at the only girl in the group, who wasn't paying attention to them.

"Who, these girls?" Akihiko said as he pointed behind him, knowing they're there. "I don't even know their names. They talk so much they give me a headache. Anyway, I'm gonna head out. Don't keep me waiting." With that he went on ahead.

"Awww… why can't he be more friendly?" Said one fan as she sighed.

"But that's what makes him so cool!" Said another admirer as the group when after him, sparing one more glaring glance at Minako, who was clueless to what their glares was about.

"Man, how can he not know their names!?" Junpei said. "I mean, seriously! Just look at them!"

"I wouldn't remember their names either if I had to deal with that every day." Minato said. "But why were they giving you evil looks, Sissy?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm at a lost there too."

"It's because you're a girl." Junpei said as he explained. "Any girl that's not in the circle of Akihiko's fan club is seen as a potential threat."

"And we're in the same dorm…" Minato said with a sigh.

"Don't worry, they won't do anything really, just glare usually." Junpei said as he shrugged. "Ah well, I guess we better head on over then. Sheesh, talk about putting a damper on a guy's afternoon."

"It could've been worse you know." Minato said as they made the walk over to the mall, where they located the police station and entered through the glass doors.

"Thank you, Sir." Akihiko said to the officer as they entered through the doors. "Oh, these are the guys I was talking about earlier." The officer looked at them, which made them feel a bit uncomfortable by the man's stare. "This is Officer Kurosawa. He helps keep our squad well-equipped." He explained as he dug something from his pocket. "And, this is from Ikutsuki-san." He handed them 5,000 yen to each of the three.

"R-Really!? Sweet!" Junpei said.

"You can't fight empty-handed, so find something you like." Akihiko said. "Officer Kurosawa has connections… But, these things still cost money."

"Of course they do. Nothing in life is free." Officer Kurosawa said.

"I realize that. Well, I'll see you later. Thanks again." Akihiko said as he headed towards the doors.

"I've been informed about you three." Officer Kurosawa said. "My job is to maintain peace in this city, regardless of the circumstances. I'm just an ordinary police officer, but it doesn't take a genius to know something strange is going on here. I'm only doing what I think is right." He said as he mentioned them to a list of things he has to offer for them to buy.

"This is a bit of a surprise." Minato said. "But neither of us can complain, can we?" He looked up at the officer.

"No, we can't." He said as he saw that the girl was looking over the list of items that he had confiscated from petty criminals and figured it would be of some use.

"Looks like we'll be seeing you again when we need something." Minako said as she bowed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Officer Kurosawa."

"Same here. Stay out of trouble, all of you." He said as the trio made their way out of the station.

"Pssh, 5,000 yen?" Junpei said as he sighed. "I'm gonna take off, since I'm in a bad mood now… Later."

"See ya." The twins said as they watched him head out.

"Want to look around the mall?" Minato asked. "I haven't been here before." His sister agreed as they spent a good hour in the mall before they headed back to the dorm, where Mitsuru explained to them that if they wanted to go to Tartarus, they would have to ask her and she will round everyone up.

"Is there anything either of you would like to ask?" Mitsuru asked as both of them said that they're okay for the time being. "Feel free to come up to me when you want to go." She said as she went back to reading her book.

"Oh, good evening Mr. Chairman." Minako said as she noticed the man in the lounge.

"Good evening, Minako-chan. How was your day?"

"It was good, thank you. And yours?"

"Boring." He said with a laugh.

"Sir, can I ask you something?" Minato asked. "How did the Shadows come to be anyway?"

"That's actually still a mystery. I used to be a researcher for Kirijo Electronics… That is the primary reason why I'm the chairman of the board. And what makes this dormitory such a convenient location for conduct SEES activities." He said as he straightened his glasses. "As you well know that I can't summon a Persona, but I was taught how to enter Tartarus. So if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask. Of course I cannot be of any help." He laughed a bit at that as Akihiko came down with a boxing glove and a sewing kit.

"Oh hey, you guys just come in?"

"Not too long ago." Minato said. "How did you meet Officer Kurosawa, Senpai?"

"He helped me out a while ago." He said. "He's someone you can count on."

"That's good to know. At least there's one in the field that won't see us as crazy people." This made Akihiko laugh.

"Are you fixing up your boxing gloves?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, these are the ones I use when I was fighting the Shadows before I got injured." He said as he examined one glove before he stared to get to work. "I figured while I'm recovering I can finally fix these up."

"I see." She said as Minato pulled on her pony tail. "Toto-nii!"

"Let's get our homework done and get to bed early. I might be up for Tartarus tomorrow night if I'm rested enough."

"Oh, okay." She said as she looked at the chairman and the two seniors and shrugged. "My brother in a nutshell."

"Who's a nut?"

"No one!" She said as she ran up to her brother.

The three in the lounge chuckled at this.

"Those two get along rather well for siblings." The Chairman said. "Though I'm not surprised, reading what they've been through. I'm surprised no one called up child abandonment."

"They wanted to stay together." Akihiko said, focusing on the glove. "If they went into the system, there's a chance that they would've been separated. Not many new parents want to take up two kids."

"Akihiko…" Mitsuru said as she looked at him.

"I'm just stating the facts from experience." Akihiko said as he poked himself with the needle. "Shit!"

Mitsuru sighed as she looked down back at her book.

The Chairman can tell the atmosphere suddenly got heavy and he got up, saying he was going to turn in and left.

xxxxx

Meanwhile in the twins' room, Minato was combing Minako's hair.

"Ow!" She said with a wince.

"How on earth did you get your hair in knots?" He asked, amazed that his sister's hair, though looks like an easy task was starting to become a hassle.

"I have long hair! That's the beautiful curse of it." She said as she can feel the knot was tugged out from her scalp. Her hair went down past her shoulders and there was a slight wave to it at the bottom. "You know I can comb my own hair, right?"

"Then why do I keep finding knots in your hair?" He teased as she elbowed him, which he simply laughed off. "You remember when you had your hair in those pig tails? You had those little white bunny clips on them?"

She giggled. "Of course I remember." She said as she giggled. "I remembered that you called me 'Bun-Bun' because I did look like a rabbit with my hair up like that." She then looked solemn. "Why do you brush my hair?"

Minato stopped brushing her hair as he contemplated that a bit.

"Is it because Mom used to do it? And you took up the job?"

Minato sat next to her. "Well… She wasn't doing anything to help, and you needed someone to help you."

"Brother…" She looked at her brother as she pinched his cheek.

"What was that for?"

"Stay my brother." She said as she saw his confused face. "I like you better as my brother than someone who thinks they can also be a parent."

Minato grinned as he playfully shoved her, which he got one in return. "Okay, I'll stop being a mother hen to you, except if there was a guy who has an interest in you."

"Then you're just an overprotective brother." She said with a giggle.

"Let's get some sleep."

"Kay." She said as they went to their respectful beds and went to sleep.


	11. Episode 10: The Ramen Shop

Ep. 10: The Ramen Shop

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/23-

Minako was once again the first one awake and had to leave her brother behind so he can get ready, but this time she wasn't alone as Junpei actually made an effort to wake up early and walked to school together.

"Man, I'm so tired…" He said, walking slower than usual due to his drowsiness. "Coming to school's a job by itself."

"Everything okay, Junpei-kun?"

"Yeah… Things got so busy all of a sudden. Well, I do feel a lot more satisfied, though."

"I agree with you." She said, knowing how he felt, which seemed to wake him up a bit as he smiled.

"Right? Having somethin' that only we can do? It just feels great." He said as he yawned loudly before groaning. "Oh man, I'm getting teary eyed now… Goin' to class is a pain… The only thing I look forward to is after school." He then looked thoughtful. "How will I kill time…?"

That got her thinking as well. "That is a good question… Especially since I'm not in any clubs yet…" She said as they went into their classroom.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minato was heading to the school, seeing his sister talking to Junpei and was going to run up to join them when Kenji got his attention. "Hey Kenji."

"What's up, Minato?" Kenji said as he looked around. "Huh? You're all by yourself?"

"Yeah…"

"Dude, I thought the rumor about you and Yukari-san was true…"

"It's just rumors." He said as Kenji shrugged.

"Well, it's not like I care or anything. But, you've sure had some bad luck since you and your sis transferred here."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, dude, all the weird stuff that's been happening… How everyone's been saying they're hearing strange voices…" Kenji then took notice of the headphones around Minato's neck. "Well, I guess since you're always listening to your headphones, you probably haven't heard anything." He then mentioned them to start walking towards the building to their classroom.

xxxxx

When school ended, the twins started to pack up to leave when Junpei and Kenji came up to them.

"Oh, hey Kenji, what's up?" Junpei asked.

"Nothing, I was going to ask Minato if he would like to hang out with me." Kenji said as he looked at Minato. "You wanna come?"

"Why are you asking me?" Minato asked as Kenji shrugged.

"No reason, really. I just don't have anything to do later, and I thought we could finish our conversation from this morning."

Minato shrugged. "Sure, I'll go." He looked at Junpei. "What's up?"

"I was gonna ask you and Ko-tan if you guys wanna hang out with me."

"I'll go." Minako said.

"Sweet! I know someplace that's really good. It'll be my treat!"

"Alright." She said.

"You be sure you guys get back to the dorm safely. I really don't want to beat you up, Junpei."

"Hear ya loud and clear." Junpei said. "I'll take care of her as if she was my own sister."

"You better." Minato said with a grin as they left the school grounds, using different routes but ended up in the same place in different time.

xxxxx

Minato and Kenji, who got there first, were slurping away some ramen.

"Whew!" Kenji said as he cleaned his bowl. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" He looked at Minato, who was sighing in content of his own clean bowl. "Well, was I right, or was I right? This ramen tastes great, doesn't it?" He looked thoughtful. "I bet they put a special ingredient in it – something no other ramen shop uses. It's probably some sort of secret spice." He then looked surprised then apologetic. "Oh, sorry. My bad. I get all geeked up when I eat here."

"I agree with you." Minato said honestly, surprising Kenji.

"You do? Really? I mean, you can appreciate the subtle yet distinct flavor of the soup?" Kenji smiled as he chuckled a bit. "Wow, you don't look like the type of guy I'd normally hang around with. But I guess looks aren't everything."

"Come off it." Minato said as he playfully punched Kenji's arm, who laughed.

"By the way, man, I hear you and Yukari are close."

'This again?'

"Damn, boy, you move fast! I mean, you just transferred here." Kenji said as he nodded. "I can't blame you, though. A man's gotta be aggressive nowadays." He then looked at him with a bright expression. "Hey, let's hang out after school again sometime." He winked. "We'll get some food and I'll tell you about my secret plan…" He chuckled. "Wait 'til you hear it, dude. You're gonna flip!"

Minato laughed as he liked the guy and can feel that strange sensation in his chest and knew that he had just created a bond with Kenji.

"What, it's already nighttime?" Kenji said as he saw the time, making Minato look at the clock as well and saw how late it was. "Damn, I missed my favorite TV show! Man, you're one serious dude…" He shrugged. "Oh well, let's get going." And with that, they headed out of the ramen shop, not seeing the other two in the same restaurant, laughing.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako and Junpei in the same ramen shop, but it was crowded that they didn't see Kenji or Minato when they arrived five minutes later after making a short detour.

"Umm…" Junpei said as he was going to order for them. "Alright! We'll have two specials!" He said as the person left to give the chef the order.

"That sounds good." She said as he chuckled.

"Well… I'm sure it'll be better than you're expecting." He said as they made small talk before the waiter came back with two bowls, which Minako could feel her stomach growl when the smell coming off the soup was making her hungry. "C'mon, try it!" He encouraged as he waited for her take a bite, which she did.

"This is delicious!" She said.

"Good right? Well then, I'm digging in too. Chow time!" Which he did, only to say it was hot, but laughed it off. "Man, this is great!"

She noticed that he was eating noisily, she giggled as she saw he was enjoying himself as she digged into hers as well before stopping for a breather.

"Hey…" Junpei said, looking a bit serious. "Do you feel okay now?"

"Hm?"

"I heard that while you were out for a while, you were in the hospital. You seemed full of energy at school, but I was kind of worried." He said.

She blinked as she figured he was concerned for her. "Is that why you invited me here?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh, um… Well, yeah!" He said with his usual smile. "I had some problems myself when I transferred here, too."

She noticed the blush on his face when he said this and thought he was being very sweet.

"In your case, you've got all the fighting stuff on top of that… I was wondering if you weren't accustomed to school or whatever." He then smiled. "Then again, I think you'll do just fine." He said as he looked embarrassed as he laughed a bit.

She felt his thoughtfulness and caring as she felt the stirring in her chest and knew that she had made a bond with Junpei and laughed along with him before both calmed down.

"Still…" Junpei continued. "Girls and guys livin' in the same dorm, huh? That can't be good." He said as he added as an afterthought. "Though you and Minato have done that since you were kids, right?"

"You heard about that, huh?" She said with an easy going smile.

"Not everything."

"Long story short, my former aunt didn't really like us because we look too much like Mom. We always end up with a room to ourselves, usually the smallest in the room or the attic. Anyplace that we go to that she didn't have to see us."

"That's kinda messed up though, but you guys are here now…"

She nodded happily. "Yep! I almost kinda wished she'd send us out here sooner though." She giggled. "But then we might not be such good friends."

"Who knows!" He said with a laugh as he lifted his cup. "Cheers! To today!"

She followed suit with a laugh.

"But you know…" He said with a teasing smirk. "I can't guarantee that I won't fall for somebody." He did a fake laugh that was supposed to be humorous, which made her lose it as she was flushed from laughing so much.

After some more idle chatting they left the ramen shop and headed to the dorm, where they saw Minato talking to Mitsuru before looking back at them.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said. "We're going to Tartarus tonight, so be prepared."

"Alright!" Junpei said.

"And so you know, we'll be doing more than one floor." Minato said. "So get ready."

"Okay!" Minako said as she ran up stairs. "I only got one thing to finish up on."

"Take your time!" Minato said as he looked at Junpei. "Thanks for taking her out. She seems a lot happier than she did."

"Huh? Really?"

"I'm her twin brother." Minato said with a smile. "I know my sister when she's happy or when she's down. And she's definitely in high spirits. She's going to need that for tonight."

Junpei blushed as he laughed. "You're welcome man." He said as Minato went up stairs.


	12. Episode11: Second Run and Athletics Club

Ep. 11: Second Run and Athletics Club

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/23-

When the Dark Hour arrives, they headed into Tartarus.

"I've told Minato this, but I've found out something else about Tartarus." Mitsuru said as the others were paying attention. "A few floors up, there's a barricade preventing you from going any higher. The tower seems to have a number of these interspersed amongst its floors. Remember when I told you that the layout changes each day?" She saw the group nod. "These barriers, however, seem to be in fixed locations. Therefore, I'd like you to try and reach the first barricade. But don't push yourself too hard."

"Does that mean we have to start from here every time?" Yukari asked. "In case you haven't noticed, this tower is really huge and tall."

"That leads to my next point, those access points, I can sense them being in many of the floors, so you can resume to where you have left off."

"That will save us the trouble of starting from here and working our way up." Minato said as he looked at the group. "Ready guys?"

"You bet man!" Junpei said excitedly.

"It's what we have to do." Yukari said with a bit of a smile.

"I am if you are."

"Good, let's go." And with that, the four went in, and waited for Mitsuru to scan the area they were in.

"_I detect a great source of power above you…"_ Mitsuru warned. _"It's still relatively far away, but keep your guard up nonetheless."_

"Okay Senpai, will keep note." Minato said as he mentioned everyone to follow and carefully wandered around the first floor before seeing two shadows that looked like an odd, floating head ornament of what looks like a crown without the cushion look, a red, face mask-looking face with torn black cloth around the bottom. "Senpai! Analyze!" He called out as he took the Envoker out, summoned his Persona to bash one, but didn't get rid of it. "Junpei!"

"On it!" Junpei said as he summoned Hermes and cleaved the other, ridding it from their sight. "Awesome!"

"This enemy is strong against Agi, but weak against Bufu and Garu!"

"Yukari-chan!" Minako called out. "Finish it off!"

"Right!" Yukari said as she aimed her arrow at the enemy as Minako got its attention, distracting it from her long enough to fire the arrow and hitting the target, ridding it for good. "Alright!"

"Great work guys!" Minato said. "We still have a long way to go, but we're doing good. Everyone still good to go?"

"That was just a warm up!" Junpei said.

"Still good to go!" Yukari said as Minako nodded agreeingly.

"Okay! Let's keep going! We got a long night ahead of us."

"Bring it!" Junpei said as they came across another small group of Shadows.

xxxxx

Once they cleared the second floor of any Shadows, they located the stairs and headed up, where the first set of enemies they ran into looked like white gloves with the blue face masks for heads.

"Analyze!" Minako called as they got ready to fight as both she and Minato summoned their Personas and did Agi on the gloved Shadows, only for one to miss, but the one that was hit clearly showed that fire attacks were its weakness.

"I got this!" Junpei called out as he summoned Hermes to use a cleave attack on the one that avoided the other attack.

"Yukari! Shoot one of them down!"

"Got it!" Yukari said as she did just that, only for it to miss. "Damn it!"

"_The enemy is strong against Bufu but weak against Agi!"_ Mitsuru said as Minato nodded.

"I thought so!" Minato said as he called out his sister as they both summoned their Personas and got rid of the Shadows.

"Awesome!" Yukari said as she went up to the two. "You two are pretty dangerous duo."

"I guess…" Minato said as he smiled. "Don't beat yourself up over that missed shot, you'll get a lot of chances." He looked at Junpei. "Great move there."

"Thanks man." Junpei said as he chuckled. "Let's kick some more ass already!"

"Right, let's go!" Minato said as they continued to defeat Shadows on the third floor, stopped for a rest after defeating the last group of them, found the stairs and went up.

"_Everyone."_ Mitsuru said as she got everyone's attention. _"It seems that powerful foe above you is closer than I thought… If you think you're not ready, then don't test your luck."_

"Understood, Senpai." Minato said as he looked at everyone. "Let me know if you feel tired at all, guys."

"I'm cool man." Junpei said.

"I drank coffee before coming here, so I'm up unless I work the excess energy." Yukari said. "But let me know if you guys feel like you're hurting anywhere."

"Will do, Sissy?"

"I'm okay. The burn on my leg doesn't hurt anymore thanks to Yukari." Minako said as Minato looked down at what was left of her left sock that showed a fading pink mark on her leg where she was healed from the burn.

"I still want you to be a little more careful." He said as they took care of the Shadows on the fourth floor and seriously took a moment to pull out something to eat to gather their strength and continued onto the fifth floor.

xxxxx

"_I detect three Shadows in this floor's central area."_ Mitsuru said. _"They're not like the ones you've fought before. If you're not ready to face them yet, then return to the entrance and reorganize."_

Minato looked at the group. "How are you guys feeling?"

"This is like the boss level, right?" Junpei said, looking pumped up. "Then there's no way I'm leaving this place until it goes down!"

"I'm still good for one more round." Yukari said.

"I want to do this as well." Minako said. "I'm not scared."

"That's what worries me." Minato teased as he nodded. "Okay, I want to get this over as well. Let's give it everything we got!" He said as they charged to where they saw three, vulture looking Shadows and gave the command to spread out.

"_The enemy is stronger than you are accustomed to."_ Mitsuru warned, but she didn't seem concerned. _"Proceed with caution!"_

"Thanks Senpai!" Minato called as he looked at Yukari. "Yukari! Shoot them out from the air if you can!"

"Got it!" Yukari said as she got three to go down.

"Let's go all out!" Minato called out as they started beating the Shadows before they started to regain themselves and they had to pull back. "Get ready for their attacks!" He said as he got hit by one, followed by the others, but they didn't get too badly, except for Minako as she got hit twice for covering Yukari, who then took revenge by shooting the Shadows back down onto the ground for another all out attack.

They managed to defeat two, while the last one seemed weak enough to be defeated by one attack, which Minako did the final attack.

"Is everyone okay?" Minato asked everyone as they assured him that they were okay. "Good."

"Man... That one nearly kicked my ass…" Junpei said.

"I thought that was going to be the end for us." Yukari said as she looked at Minako. "Are you okay? You didn't have to take that hit! My Persona is strong against wind."

"I'm okay, Yukari-chan. Just very tired now." Minako said.

"Well, I think we'll go back to the entrance and then call it a night. Sound good with everyone?" He got affirmative nods as they used the transporter to get them back to the entrance.

"Welcome back. You did quite a number tonight." Mitsuru said. "All of you have showed great teamwork as well as having each other's back when needed."

"Thank you, Mitsuru-senpai." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "We're ready to head back to the dorms. Sissy here is about to collapse."

"She's not the only one." Junpei. "I'm bushed."

Mitsuru nodded as they made their way back to the dorms.

xxxxx

-4/24-

The next morning, the twins were walking to school together, trying to fight back their yawns as they were tired when they overheard a couple students talking about the increasing cases of Apathy Syndrome before they mentioned that athletic clubs are looking for new members.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Minato said as he looked at his sister, who smiled and nodded. "Let's find out what clubs they have after school."

"Right!" She said as they quickly made their way to their classroom.

xxxxx

When school ended, they went down to the athletics departments and looked to see what was available to them.

"I think I'm gonna join tennis." Minako said. "What about you, Brother?"

"Track." He said. "I have to get better at my endurance." He smiled. "Good luck in tennis."

"And you in track." She said as they went to where the clubs were meeting.

With Minako, she headed out to the field to see a group of girls also in the club, with Ms. Kanou, the club advisor, leading and introducing her.

"So, you all have a new teammate." Ms. Kanou started out. "She's Arisato Minako from class 2-F. Everybody be nice to her, okay?"

"Hello everyone, it's nice to meet all of you!" Minako said as the club members welcomed her.

"Um," Ms. Kanou started to say as she looked around "who was the leader for the juniors?"

"That would be me." Said a young woman with long black hair that was up in a high pony tail, dark eyes, and looked very keen.

"Oh, good." Ms. Kanou said, seeming relieved. "I'll leave the rest to you. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do here anyway." She left with a giggle.

"All right…" Said the keen student as the instructor walked away.

"'I don't' really know anything! Tee-hee!'" Said one of the club members with short hair, in which a tanned member laughed.

"That sounds exactly like her! She's too old to try to act cute like that."

"C'mon," Said the keen looking girl "let's get back to practice!" She then looked back over. "You're Minako-san, right? I'm Iwasaki Rio, a junior like you. I'm in charge of the juniors in the club, so don't hesitate to ask me anything." She said as she mentioned the days that they meet up as well as exceptions for exams.

"Thank you, Iwasaki-san."

"Well then, we're gonna concentrate on doing the basic exercises today, so come on and join in. Just keep up as much as you can."

"Okay."

"The basics again?" Said the short haired member.

"I keep telling you all that the fundamentals are important! Let's start off with some running."

"All right…" The members chorused.

"Minako-san," Rio mentioned her over "you stand in this line. If you start getting worn out, just keep your mind focused and you'll be able to pull through."

"I'll do my best!" Minako said, making Rio laugh.

"You sound promising."

Minako felt that stirring in her chest again and knew she made yet another bond as Rio started taking her role seriously.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato, he followed the coach for the track team, who were lined up to meet him.

"This is Arisato Minato. He'll be joining the team." The coach said as he pointed to the only female in the group. "This is Yuko, our manager."

The dark skinned, black haired, brown eyed girl came up and introduced herself. "Hello, I'm Nishiwaki Yuko. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Nishiwaki-san." Minato said.

"You're a junior, right?" Yuko asked as he nodded. "Since we're in the same year, you can just call me Yuko."

"Okay."

"Hey! Kazushi!" The coach barked as the male student replied.

"Yessir!"

"This is the future captain of this team." The coach mentioned to Minato to the male student. "He's a great runner and scores well in competitions. You two are in the same class, right? Kazushi, keep an eye on the new guy here, okay?"

"You got it." Kazushi said as he looked at Minato. "You're the guy who went out with Takeba Yukari on the first day of school, right? You're practically famous. I'm Miyamoto Kazushi. You've seen me around, right?"

"Yeah I have. We are in the same class." Minato said.

"Then long story short: from now on you're mine after school."

"Huh?"

"Just because you joined mid-season, don't think I'll go easy on you!"

Minato chuckled. "I don't expect you to be." He said as he felt something stir in his chest, knowing that he made a bond now.

"Since today is your first practice," Yuko said "just have a look around and then call it a day. I'll make sure your uniform is ready for next time."

He did stay to look around and then headed out to see what his sister was doing before she finished up and headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they got there Junpei was on the couch, playing a game console when they came in. "S'up dudes!" He called out. "Hey, Minato, I hear you're friends with Kenji now." He chuckled. "He said you're a pretty cool guy."

"You guys friends as well?" Minato asked.

"Sort of… I've known him for a long time, even though we don't usually hang out." He chuckled. "He's a good guy… and, man, he has no fear when it comes to the ladies."

"What are you talking about?" Yukari said as she came into the lounge. "Oh hey, have you guys joined any of the clubs yet?"

"Yep! I joined track while Sissy joined tennis."

Yukari smiled. "I'm not surprised, you guys are pretty talented." She said as she seemed to be considering something. "Hey, do you think we should go to Tartarus tonight? There's a rise of the Lost going around."

"I heard to, but I don't want to end up all of us getting tired the next day." Minato said. "I saw you struggling to get up this morning."

Yukari looked shocked.

"If you sleep well tonight, I might consider going tomorrow night." Minato said as he yawned. "Speaking of which, I'm going to bed."

"Okay Brother." Minako said as she saw Akihiko working away at the glove again. "Evening Senpai."

"Oh hey." Akihiko said. "Heard you joined a club."

"Yep, tennis."

Akihiko nodded. "It's tough to attend all the time, but you really get a lot out of it if you do." He sighed. "Unlike me who can't do anything until this damn injury heals."

"I'm sure you'll get back to it once you're healed." She said as he chuckled.

"You bet I am." He said with some confidence and a bit of laughter in his voice.

"Hey, Minako-chan, would you mind helping me with this science homework?" Yukari asked from the table.

"Coming!" She said as she bowed. "Excuse me Senpai." With that she left to help Yukari with the homework.

Akihiko looked confused as he shook his head. "Still not used to that."

"Her being formal?" Mitsuru said with a smile. "I find it rather refreshing."

"Until they get used to how things are run here." He said with a grin.

"True." Mitsuru said with a grin of her own as the evening's events went on without too much excitement.


	13. Episode12: The Bookstore Couple

Ep. 12: The Bookstore Couple

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/25-

The next morning, the twins were discussing about their plans for the day when they over heard a different conversation which led to Minako to wanting to go to the bookstore and for Minato to consider going to track practice and then swing by the Paluownia Mall to check out the Game Panic store.

xxxxx

After school they went their separate ways.

With Minato, he went to track training, where the members were giving everything they got and he had a good time with it. He and Kazushi took a breather when Kazushi started to show some discomfort.

"M-My side is killing me…" Kazushi said.

"Toughen up man, aren't you supposed to 'own' me?" Minato said, which seemed to do the trick as Kazushi seemed to be determined once again.

"How 'bout you?" Kazushi asked as he panted. "You okay? You've been workin' pretty hard… You don't even look tired… Wh-What kind of training have you been doing?"

Minato hadn't realized that he was in better shape than Kazushi. "Special training…" He said as he thought. 'Well… it isn't a lie…'

"That's what I thought." Kazushi said as he continued to pant. "Or else I… wouldn't be like this… Minato… You're crazy. Th-This sucks… You destroyed me… I knew the Bay Area competition would be tough, but I never expected to be going up against someone like you…" He then looked determined. "I've made up my mind! Minato! One day, I'm gonna beat you!"

'Did we just become rivals?' Minato thought as he smiled. "Okay then, I accept." He said. 'Might as well help him be the best.'

Kazushi then looked taken aback and apologetic. "Sorry… I shouldn't get so worked up over it." He said as he was about to head to a direction. "Let's get go – ugh!?"

"What's wrong?"

"My knee… I think I twisted it…" He looked up and managed a smile. "Oh sorry… let's go."

"You sure man?"

"Yeah! It's cool!"

Minato wasn't so sure as he went to the locker rooms to change. 'I wonder if Sissy got any new books from that little book shop?' He thought.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako headed to the bookstore, BookWorms, and entered to see an old couple behind the counter.

"What would you like today?" Asked the old man. "We have fresh mackerel!"

The old woman sighed as she shook her head. "Sorry, as you can see, we don't sell fish here." She said.

Minako giggled. "I know." She said as the old man seemed to notice something about her.

"Hey, you're a student, aren't you?" He asked.

"Yes."

"You must be from Gekkoukan High, right?"

"That's right."

"That means you've probably seen the persimmon tree there."

"Persimmon tree…" She said as she remembered the small tree in one of the school's courtyards.

"Are you serious!? You don't know what I'm talking about? Not a day goes by that we don't' think about that tree." He said, making the young woman a bit at a loss.

"I'm sorry." The old woman said. "He's rambling on like an old man. Just ignore him."

She remembered the tree and decided to go over there and inspect the tree, finding a leaf before she saw her brother just about to head out of school. "Toto-nii!"

He turned and was surprised to see her. "Sissy? What are you doing here? I thought you said you're going to check out the book store?"

"I did, but the old couple seemed to know about this persimmon tree in that one courtyard. So I came all the way back to get this." She held out a leaf in her hand.

Minato looked at his sister as he patted her head. "You're a strange one." He said as she giggled. "I'm heading over to the mall, wanna come?"

She shook her head. "Nope! I'm going back to the book store and show them this! Do you want to come?" She said as she smiled brightly.

Minato thought about this and he decided that he'll check it out with her and they headed to the bookstore, where they found the old couple again behind the counter.

"How many guests? Smoking or non-smoking?" The old man said, making Minako smile as he noticed the leaf in her hand. "Excuse me, but may I see that leaf in your hand…" She showed it to him as he looked excited. "Oh! Is this a leaf from that persimmon tree? It must have grown quite a bit to produce such splendid leaves…" He then looked up at her in confusion. "Wait, so you didn't come here to buy books? Did you come here just to show us this?"

She nodded. "Yes I did." She said as her brother nodded.

"I knew right from the start that you're a kind young lady!" He said as he laughed a bit. "And you as well, young man. I've been meaning to go see that tree for a while now, but I'm not sure if these stumpy old legs will make it that far…" He chuckled. "That wasn't meant to be a pun. You know, 'stumpy', 'tree stump'. Catch my drift?"

The twins chuckled at this as the old woman came up with a giggle.

"Very clever dear." She said.

"Allow me to introduce my wife, Mitsuko. I'm Bunkichi. If you don't mind, would you tell us your names?"

"I'm Minako, and this is my older twin brother, Minato."

"Nice to meet you." Minato said.

"So, your name is MinaKO…" Bunkichi said as he pointed to her. "And you're MinaTO." He pointed to him before he broke out into a smile. "Then, we'll call you Ko-chan and To-kun from now on!" This made everyone laugh as the twins felt the stirring in their chests as a new bond was forged.

"We better let you two go." Mitsuki said. "We hope to see you two soon."

"We'll definitely come back sometime." Minako said as her brother nodded.

"Have a good day!" Minato said as they parted ways as they headed to the dorms.

xxxxx

"Where have you two been?" Akihiko asked as they walked in, making him look up from his book.

"We were at the bookstore." Minako said as she explained the day to him, giving the senior a few laughs while Minato added a couple of missed details in the story.

"Hey, Senpai, where is everyone?" Minato said as he noticed that they were the only ones in the lounge.

"Oh yeah, Mitsuru has something come up, so you guys can't go to Tartarus."

Minato shrugged. "Okay then, maybe tomorrow night then. I wanted to head to the mall anyway."

"You still want to check out that arcade?" Minako asked, raising a brow.

"Yeah, wanna come? I heard there's a pretty tough trivia game there."

She seemed to sigh. "You know trivia games are my weakness." She groaned.

Akihiko chuckled as he shook his head. "Just be home before it gets too late. I don't want to have to explain to Mitsuru why you two are missing."

"We'll be home at a reasonable time. Or my sister's name isn't Arisato Minako."

"What was that for!?" She said as she told Akihiko good night and followed her brother to the mall.

xxxxx

The mall wasn't as busy as it would've been during the day, only the night club, Escapade, seems to have more activity than anywhere else. They came across an alley, under the karaoke building and found the blue door.

"You don't think?" Minako asked as Minato placed the key into the lock and it opened.

From there they found out how to work with the personas, fusing them to create new ones, and found out about requests from Elizabeth and Theodore. After their visit, they were able to have some similar personas and a few that are different.

xxxxx

After that they looked at Game Panic and played a trivia game, in which Minako did better than Minato and headed straight back to the dorm where they immediately went to their room, when Minato's cell went off.

"Minato speaking."

"_Hey man, it's Kenji. Got a minute?"_

"Yeah, I do."

"_Cool! Wanna hang out tomorrow?"_

"Sure."

"_Sweet! Meet me in the mall then."_

"See you there Kenji."

"_Later dude."_ With that they hung up.

"Meeting up a friend tomorrow?"

"Yep." He said as he went to bed. "See you in the morning."

She giggled as she kissed his temple, said good night, and went to sleep in her own bed.


	14. Episode 13: The Weekend Outing

Ep. 13: The Weekend Outing

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/26-

The next morning, it was a Sunday as Minato was dressed and ready for his outing with Kenji. "What are you going to do, Sissy?" He asked as he put on his jacket.

"I think I'm just going to walk around the area a bit, get the idea for the place." Minako said as she giggled. "I might just head back into BookWorms to talk to that nice couple."

Minato grinned. "You always did like fun old people, even as a kid."

"They have the best stories!" Minako countered. "You enjoyed them too you know!"

"I did." He said with a laugh as he looked at the time. "I may drop by to say hi to them too after I hang out with Kenji. Maybe pick up a book while I'm there."

"Okay, have a good time!" She said as she took out a text book to get some homework done.

"I will, don't spend the whole day studying." He said as he headed out.

"You don't do anything dumb!" She called out before he closed the door and she worked on one page of homework when she looked out to see that the day was bright and perfect, even though it was cool outside and she knew it. She got dressed in something warm and headed down to the first floor, where she saw the two seniors at the lounge, reading a book. "Morning!" She greeted as both of them looked up.

"Hey, what's up? Heading out?" Akihiko said as she nodded.

"Yep, I'm going to explore the area a bit, since I didn't get a good enough chance."

He nodded, agreeingly. "Yeah, go out and have some fun."

"I will." She said as she looked at Mitsuru. "It is okay, right?"

Mitsuru looked up, a bit confused of why the other was asking. "Generally speaking, you may do whatever you like on your days off. You can study or go out. It's up to you."

She blushed as she nodded. "Y-Yeah… I guess I'm still thinking back on when I was with… her…" She said with a bit of a nervous giggle. "We had to ask her if we can go out so no one will know she had us around. She never liked the idea of being a mom, much less raising us."

"I'm sorry."

"Huh? You shouldn't, it's just something that I'm just going to get used to, that's all." Minako said as she laughed it off. "So! What are you going to be doing?"

"Oh, I prefer to stay in and read."

"You really like that book, you've been reading it for the pass few nights now."

Mitsuru chuckled. "It's called 'The Odyssey'."

"Oh! I heard it's really good, but very long."

"It is good, I'll lend it to you when I'm done."

"This is her fifth time reading it." Akihiko pointed out, dodging her glare by looking at his own book.

"I bet you always find something you missed the last few times."

Mitsuru chuckled. "I do in fact. I got the classical copy, so the language used here is quite different and hard to understand if reading it the first time."

Minako smiled as she nodded. "What other kinds of books that you like?"

Mitsuru thought about this for a moment as she smiled. "To be honest, I like classical adventure stories."

"Like 'Treasure Island'? I loved that when I was little."

"So did I." Mitsuru said smiling pleasantly. "I haven't read that one in quite a while. I also liked 'Oliver Twist'…"

"I haven't read that one…"

"I have a copy of it. I'll put it on your bed when you return."

"Thanks so much!" She said as she bowed to them. "Excuse me, I'll be home later."

"Just be careful not to get injured." Mitsuru called out.

"I'll be careful!" Minako said as she left the dorm.

There was a moment of silence before Akihiko looked up. "Adventure Classics? I did not know that about you." He said.

"You never asked." Mitsuru said simply as she continued to read.

"Got me there." He said as he read his own book.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato and Kenji, they were walking out of Power Records, a music and movie store, as Kenji seemed excited about something.

"Yesss!" Kenji cheered. "I finally got D'z's new single!" He looked at Minato with an excited face. "D'z is a great singer, and he looks so cool on stage!" He then looked as though he just noticed something. "Hey, this is the first time I've seen you in normal clothes, dude…" He seemed to study Minato.

"Something wrong?" He asked as he was wearing his dark jeans, a cream turtleneck shirt, and his dark jacket that seemed to enhance the blue in his hair a bit more, which also bring out the blues in his eyes.

Kenji then nodded. "Not bad… Not bad at all! But, there are some things you could do to look better…"

Minato looked down at himself before looking at the other. "Like what?" He asked.

"That's the spirit!" Kenji said as he looked determined. "Alright, let's see… Umm… Here, like this." He said as he pointed a few things out. "Yeah, that looks better." He said as he nodded at the slight adjustment he did. "You're pretty good looking to begin with, man, so if you work on how you dress, you'll be good to go." He grinned. "Then, you can be my wingman!" He laughed a bit as Minato chuckled.

'I guess I do need to update my style a bit. Since I'm no longer trying to blend in to be sure that I'm a ghost.' Minato thought as he nodded. "Yeah, I guess I need some update to my style." He said offhandedly, which Kenji suddenly grabbed his arm.

"I know just the place, man!"

"Don't pull people's arms out!" He said with a laugh, having a great time on this outing.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako wandered to the shrine as she decided to make an offering and prayed for everyone's safety and that she and her brother would get along with everyone and that they will have bright futures ahead of them. She then made her way down to the bookstore, where she met up with Minato, who told her about his day as they made their way to the book store together.

"Oh, you came back!" Bunkichi said with a smile. "Welcome, um… what was your name again?"

"Uh… have you forgotten us?" Minato asked as the man laughed.

"I'm just joking. I know who you two are. I'm not that old." He said with a laugh, making the other two to chuckle. "My wife and I were just talking about you two. Would you two like some melon breads? Someone gave them to me, but I have more than enough." He handed out the two bread rolls to them. "Go ahead, take one."

"Thank you, Bunkichi!" Minako said as she and Minato took the offered breads. 'When was the last time I had one of these?' She thought happily.

"Don't worry about it;" Bunkichi said "it's just melon bread. There's no need to thank me."

"But still, it was very kind of you." Minako said.

"She's right. Thank you for the bread." Minato said.

"You're both so polite. I wish HE had been that way…" He said, being impressed. "Do you want one for a friend too? Because it'll take us forever to finish them all."

"Okay, I think I know someone who'll enjoy them." Minako said.

"I may know one, depending how much you're willing to part."

The old man laughed as he gave them a sack of a few of the bread. "Alright, here ya go. Um… uh… err… What was your name again…?"

The twins weren't sure if this was another joke or if he did forget.

"Remember, dear?" Mitsuko said as she came out. "These are To-kun and Ko-chan." She looked up at them with a kind and apologetic smile. "I'm sorry you two. He's terribly forgetful lately."

"Where did he run off to, dear?" Bunkichi asked. "He should be here helping customers. I'm sorry you two."

"Who are you talking about?" Minato asked.

"Our spoiled son." He said. "He hasn't been back in a while." He looked a bit lonely as he looked at his wife. "Where did he go, dear?"

Mitsuko looked like she was ready to cry. "Must you, dear…?"

Minako summoned up enough courage to ask "Who's 'he'?" to them.

"Oh, that's right. Our son is deceased…" Bunkichi said as he seemed a bit uncomfortable. "My apologies, you two. I hope I'm not making you feel uncomfortable."

The twins knew what the couple were feeling at that moment, despite the age difference. Losing someone is painful, but this case was reversed from their own experience which is even painful for the older couple. That's when they felt a stir in their chests when they knew that the bond with the old couple has gotten stronger.

"H-Hey, hey," Bunkichi said suddenly "why the gloomy faces? It's dark outside. I don't need it to be dark in here too."

The twins looked behind them at the doors to see that the street lamps were on and the sky is darkening.

"Please come again." Bunkichi said as they faced him. "We'll be waiting for you two."

The twins nodded as they exchanged farewells and left to go back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Oh hey!" Yukari called out as they entered in, followed by Junpei's "S'up, dude?"

"How was your day?" Yukari asked.

"It was good." Minako said. "I went around the area and talked to this really great old couple in the bookstore."

"I hung out with Kenji until Sissy found me and dragged me to the bookstore. We had a good time talking with them." Minato said as he noticed the seniors were still reading their books. "Were you guys reading the whole day?"

"Have to, it's for an assignment." Akihiko said as he pointed to an open notebook on his lap, pen in hand.

"Couldn't put it down." Mitsuru said with a smile.

"Wow! You're almost done with it too!" Minako said, impressed by how far along the other was in the book.

"I left you that one book on your bed." Mitsuru mentioned as Minako looked excited before hugging her.

"Thank you Senpai! I'll return it as soon as I'm done!" She said as she ran up the stairs, missing the surprised look Mitsuru had on.

Minato was a bit confused as he looked at Akihiko for confirmation. "What'd I miss?"

"Mitsuru and Minako were talking about books after you left and Mitsuru is lending her a copy of a book your sister never read before." Akihiko filled in as he looked at the shocked senior. "And that's the first time someone has hugged her out of the blue like that."

Minato looked to see that Mitsuru was dumbstruck as well as a small blush appearing on her cheeks. "Senpai?" He said as he wasn't getting a reaction before he came up with something that would test to see how far she is in her mind. "I walked around town naked today."

"H-Huh!?" Mitsuru said, clearly not knowing what he just said as Akihiko tried everything not to laugh out right.

"Nothing Senpai." He said as he yawned. "I'm going to bed. See you guys in the morning."

Mitsuru was really at a lost as she looked at Akihiko for an explanation as he got up.

"I'm going to sleep early today." He said as he quickly went up the stairs.

She looked to see the other two in the area, who were oddly quiet, but she gave up on it and continued to read her book.

Meanwhile, Junpei was keeping himself from laughing while Yukari face palmed by how stupid and effective that was before both of them headed up to their rooms.


	15. Episode14: Student Council and ()

Ep. 14: Student Council and Trouble on the Tennis Court

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/27-

The next morning, the twins, Junpei and Yukari headed to the school gates together with Junpei and Yukari arguing about something dumb when the twins overheard a couple of students near the gate saying that there was going to be an assembly today.

xxxxx

In the assembly hall, the teacher was on the podium as he announced the principal to come up.

"What's the deal with the assembly?" Yukari whispered. "You think it's about the recent incidents?"

"Who cares?" Junpei said. "The Principal doesn't know anything about the Shadows, anyway." He said as he sighed. "I just hope this doesn't take too long."

Yukari nodded. "I know. His speeches always drag."

The twins looked at each other and knew it was going to be a long time before they leave the auditorium. As they listened to the speech, they noticed that it sounded a lot like the speech Mitsuru gave not too long ago.

"Wait a minute… Doesn't this remind you of Mitsuru-senpai's speech?" Yukari said.

"Yeah, you're right…" Junpei said as he sighed. "What's up with that!?"

"Wouldn't this be considered plagiarizing then?" Minato said. "What a hypocrite…" He sighed as Minako nodded as they suffered through the speech until they were released finally and it was time for lunch.

They headed to their classroom to grab their lunch when Mitsuru came in and called the twins up.

"I'm sorry, but I need to talk to you two after school. I have a special request for you." She said.

"For us?" Minako asked as Mitsuru nodded.

"I apologize for being in a rush, but I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else. I'll tell you two more about it after school, okay? Au revoir." She said as she left.

"See you later!" Minato said as she left. "Come and gone again." He sighed as he looked at Minako. "Wonder what she wants from us?" He asked as she shrugged.

"We'll know after school." She said as lunch was over and they went back to their seats for their math class.

xxxxx

When class ended, Yukari and Junpei parted from the twins as they waited for Mitsuru to come in.

"Afternoon, Senpai." They said in unison as she nodded to them.

"I apologize for making you wait." Mitsuru said. "To make a long story short, I want you two to join Student Council." The twins were taken aback about that, and she knew it. "Well, it's not like you'd have to participate in every activity." She assured. "Just come to the Student Council when you have the time."

The two looked at each other before back to her. "That it?" Minato asked.

"Yes, that's it. I just want you to join." She said with a nod. "Being President is very time-consuming. I'd like to have additional help available in the event of an emergency. You understand my situation…" She looked at Minato. "I'm asking you both since, at least you, Minato, know what it's like to be a leader. And I can see you, Minako, also taking up the role when you notice things that your brother has missed."

Minako blushed as she tried to say something to deny that claim when Minato nodded.

"Okay, we'll check it out."

Mitsuru smiled. "I knew I could count on both of you." She looked at them again in a serious way she usually shows. "I've already made an appointment for you with the faculty advisor. But, both of you have to go to the Faculty Office on your own."

"D-Don't you think this is rather sudden?" Minako asked.

Mitsuru nodded understandingly. "I'm sorry I made the arrangements without your permission, but I hope you understand the position I'm in."

The twins nodded understandingly as Minato spoke. "We understand, Senpai."

Mitsuru smiled as she nodded proudly. "Please go to the Faculty Office, both of you. I'll be waiting for you in the Student Council Room." She said as she left the room.

"Well, you heard Senpai, let's go to the Faculty Office and tell a teacher that we're interested." Minato said as Minako nodded and they headed to the first floor and the hallway where the office was where they found Ms. Toriumi at her desk before she noticed them come up to her.

"Oh, hello you two. Can I help you?"

"Yes, it's about the Student Council…" Minato started to say when Ms. Toriumi nodded.

"Oh, yes. I heard from Mitsuru." She said as she took out two sheets of paper for each of them. "All you need to do is read this and sign here." They did as she looked at their signatures and nodded in approval. "Alright, then. Leave the rest to me. Good luck in Student Council." She said as they headed out of the office.

"Want to go and get the introductions over with?" Minato asked when Minako looked troubled. "What's wrong?"

"I have tennis practice today…" She said.

"I understand." Minato said as he patted her head. "How about this? We go in, introduce ourselves, you leave and get to tennis. Sound good?"

"Yeah! It does." Minako said as she nodded. "Thanks so much Bro."

"Well let's go then."

"Right!" She said as they went up to the Student Council room.

Minato opened the door and poked his head in, seeing Mitsuru look up at him and mentioned him in, which he and his sister did and looked at the other members in the room and bowed.

"Welcome you two." Mitsuru said as she looked at everyone in the room. "Everyone, this is Arisato Minato, and his sister, Minako. They will be joining us in Student Council."

"Arisato-kun and Arisato-chan, huh…" Said a young man that was in the room. "I'm Odagiri Hidetoshi. I supervise the Disciplinary Committee."

"I'm Fushimi Chihiro, the Treasurer." Said a studious girl that was pretty in a Plain Jane way. "I'm a sophomore, and um… I'm still learning the ropes, so… please be patient with me, Arisato-san."

"We're new to this too, so we know how it is." Minato said. "And call me Minato." He then bowed. "It's nice to meet you." When he straightened, he noticed that Hidetoshi was looking at them, as if sizing him and his sister up before he nodded.

"You must be talented if the President hand-picked you and your sister." He said. "Nice to meet you."

The twins felt something stir in their chests, meaning a new bond was made before time seemed to resume for them.

"Today, we'll just do introductions." Mitsuru said as she looked at the twins. "It'll be your job to help us, both of you. From now on, both of you have my permission to enter the Student Council Room whenever you need to. This includes after school, too."

"Understood." Minato said as she told him the days they meet up and exceptions.

"Thank you, both of you."

"You're welcome, Senpai." The twins said in unison before Minako continued.

"I'm sorry to leave suddenly, but I have to go to tennis now, but I'll come in if I can."

"There's no hurry." She said as the girl bowed and left the room, leaving her brother there as they went over a few things in the meeting, basic stuff to help them get started and to help Minato get in the same pace.

xxx

Meanwhile, out on Gekkoukan High tennis field, Minako and the other members of the tennis club were out practicing.

"C'mon, get those legs moving!" Rio called out. "You need to get in front of the ball!"

"Rio," Said a short-haired member "can we take a break yet…?"

"Huh? But we're just getting started!" Rio said.

"But we're all tired!" Complained the short-haired girl. "It's not like we're gonna make the finals or anything anyway!"

Rio looked surprised as she said that they could if they tried, making the members did a collective "Huh?" and looked at each other in confusion. "True, our team might be weak now, but who knows what we can do if we seriously put our minds to it!" The members fall into a sullen silence when one spoke out that only Rio wants them to take it that far, in which she turned to look to see who said it, only to meet silence as she mentioned something about them needing determination and sighed.

"I don't think we're in the mood to keep going today." Said one member with buns. "Let's just go, guys."

"But the bell hasn't—" Rio started to say as the others just left, leaving the junior captain and Minako behind. "Oh, Minako-san…" She said as she continued. "Wh-Why don't' you leave too? Looks like practice is over for today anyway…" She looked away. "I'll be fine on my own…"

Minako shook her head. "I can't leave you alone. The bell hasn't rung yet." She said with a smile.

"You're so weird." Rio said, but she smiled as she looked like she was about to cry.

"Hey, can you show me that one swing again? I don't think I got it." She said as she held up her racket as they finish practice together.

When it was about time, Rio noticed the time. "Ah, it's almost time." She said as she looked at the other girl. "Um… About today…"

"Is it always like this?" Minako asked as Rio laughs.

"Yeah…" She said as she fell silent and looked down. "All I want is to play tennis. Everyone else just spends all practice talking about guys or loafing around…" She then looked surprised. "Oh, I shouldn't be saying this to someone who just joined up."

"It's okay, really." Minako said as Rio smiled.

"If… you wanna play tennis, it'll be a lot of work. But you're welcome to change your mind if you want." She said with a laugh.

Minako felt she knows Rio a little better as she felt something in her chest stirring and smiled and giggled herself.

"Let's clean up and go home." Rio said as they both started to gather stuff up. "I'm so hungry." She mentioned as she looked at the other. "Why don't we go grab a burger or something?" After they got things picked up, they headed to a burger place before they parted ways.

xxxxx

Minato was killing time in the mall after Student Council before he met up with Minako at the station and they headed to the dorm.

"S'up dudes?" Junpei said as they entered the lounge.

"Hey Junpei." Both of them said in unison.

"Yo! I heard Mitsuru-senpai asked you guys to join Student Council!"

"Yeah, we are."

"Huh…" Junpei said as he looked at Mitsuru, who was reading her book once again. "Hey, Mitsuru-senpai," she looked up to see him "are you sure you want this slacker and his sister in, especially since they just transferred in?"

"I'm going to remember that." Minato said with a dull glare.

"I need some assistance, that's all." Mitsuru said as she turned the page. "I won't let the responsibilities stack up too high." She continued without looking up from the page before looking at him from the corner of her eye. "Why, are you interested in helping too, Iori?"

"Oh, uhhh…" Junpei said as he shook his head. "I'll pass. But, thanks for the offer." He laughed a bit before feeling something hard hit his head. "What the hell man."

"For calling me a 'slacker'." Minato said as he picked up the book he hit the other with. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in the room, studying until my eyes bleed."

"Oh c'mon! I was just poking fun!" Junpei said as Minako giggled. "Can you get your brother to not do that again?"

"Don't expect guarantees." Minako said as she stretched.

"How was tennis practice?" Mitsuru asked.

"It was good, though most of the members walked out in the middle of practice."

"I hate that." Akihiko said as he looked up from the paper he was looking at. "As captain of the boxing team, if any of the members tries to leave without a good reason, then they're off the team."

"That's a bit harsh." Junpei said as the senior boy shrugged.

"That's how much I get pissed if something like that were to happen. It only happened once, but I wasn't the captain at the time."

"Well, at least you're pretty well liked." Minako said. "Rio doesn't seem to have that kind of respect in her own group." She seemed worried about the tennis captain.

"As long as she has you in her team, I'm sure those girls will come around again." Akihiko said. "And don't worry about Student Council. You guys were more or less forced to join. But any help would be appreciated." He quickly added that last bit when Mitsuru looked up to give him a glare that could easily freeze the air if she could.

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Minako said as she took a deep breath. "Oh boy… I think I'm going to join Toto-nii and get some sleep. Good night everyone." She got a good night reply as she went up to her room.

Junpei looked at Minako with a worried expression as he looked at Akihiko. "Hey Senpai, are you sure that the tennis club members will work themselves out soon?"

"Who knows. This isn't the first time a club has issues with its members, but the club has a pretty young advisor who doesn't know a lot about the sport, so it's basically the captain's burden to work it out on their own." Akihiko said.

"Will she be okay though? Minako, I mean. I know she's a tough gal an' all, but… don't you think this is a bit much?"

The two seniors looked at him as Yukari came up and bopped him at the back of the head.

"What the hell, Yuka-tan?"

"Minako isn't a weak girl. She can handle this much of things by herself."

"I'm not saying she's weak, I'm saying if this isn't a bit much for her."

"Why are you so worried about her? Minato is doing the same thing."

"Yeah, well, that's him."

"You're not making sense!" She said as she seemed to figure out something. "Do you like Minako?" She asked, missing some of the surprised looks from the seniors.

"What!? Not like that! I see her like a sister! She's my best gal-pal!"

"Right…" She said as she walked away to head up the stairs.

"Hey! We're not done talking!" Junpei said as he got up from the couch and followed after her, leaving the seniors in the now quiet lounge.

"Is it a bit much for them?" Mitsuru asked herself as Akihiko looked at her.

"Why don't you ask them at school tomorrow? You'll have a better idea about what their thoughts are then." He said as she nodded. "You really like those two, don't you?" He grinned as she looked at him.

"I admire them somewhat. I never can imagine losing both parents and then practically have each other to lean on when their only guardian isn't really doing what she's supposed to. I can't even imagine doing all that alone."

Akihiko nodded. "Those two are lucky, I'll give them that." He said as he looked back at the paper and Mitsuru back to reading her book.


	16. Episode 15: Heavy Talk

Ep. 15: Heavy Talk

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Slacker, Plain, Timid

-4/28-

The next morning the twins were walking towards the school gates when Mitsuru called them over and they went up to her.

"Morning, Senpai." Minato said as his sister did the same.

"Good morning…" Mitsuru said, gauging them before continuing. "Have both of you acclimated to our school yet?"

"Yes." Both of them said, Minato was causal while Minako was cheerful.

Mitsuru seemed to be at ease. "I see. Your ability to adapt to new situations and environments is very impressive."

"We had years of practice." Minato said with an easy-going smile. "Don't worry about us, Senpai. Compared to everything Sissy and I went through, this is so far our best."

"He's right, Senpai. Before, we never did so many things because we didn't want to bring attention to ourselves, but now we feel free in a way." Minako said. "So thank you for being worried, but we're having a time of our lives."

Mitsuru nodded understandingly as she mentioned them to follow her towards the school as they made some small talk before parting ways for their classrooms.

xxxxx

Sometime at lunch, Minato headed out to go use the restroom when Kenji came up to him at the hall.

"Hey, what's up, Minato? You doing anything after school?"

"Not really…" Minato said.

"Oh… Well, if you're looking for something to do, come talk to me, man. I'll be at my desk." He said as he sighed. "Well, I guess I should go study… NOT!" He laughed. "Who needs to study, right?"

'He looks nervous about something.' Minato thought as Kenji made his way down the hall. 'Maybe I should hang out with him to see if he's doing okay.'

"Hey Minato!" Kazushi said. "Survivin' class today?"

"Like any other day."

"Wanna go for a jog before lunch is over?"

"Huh?" Minato exclaimed.

"Dude, come on! Let's go for it!" He said as he seemed to realize something. "Wait a minute, we don't have enough time! I guess I'll save my energy for practice. You're comin', right? See ya there!" He walked away before the other had a word in.

Minato stood there as he sighed. "Right… Track practice is today…" He sighed. "I guess I can skip one lesson." He said as he continued his way to the restroom before lunch ended.

xxxxx

When class ended, Minato told Minako he was going to hang with Kenji and that he'll see her at the dorm tonight, which she told him to have a good time and be safe.

He headed to where Kenji was just packing his things. "Yo man." He said as the other looked up.

"Hey, what's up? I'm headin' home right now. What're you doin'?"

"You said earlier if I have nothing to do then to talk to you."

"Huh? You want to hang out? Cool." Kenji said as he smiled, seeming to be relieved. "Let's go somewhere then." He seemed happy as they left and went to the ramen shop.

xxxxx

They waited for their ramen as Kenji struck up a conversation. "Hey, dude, your dorm's co-ed, right?"

"Yeah…" He said, almost knowing what the next question was going to come up.

"So, can you, like, go into Yukari-san's room and stuff?"

'She has barged into the room Sissy and I share a couple times…' He thought as he shrugged. "Yeah, of course."

"No way! Really? Dude, you're so lucky." Kenji said as he seemed jealous.

'I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass later. The last thing I need is for Yukari to barge in and dowse me in ice water.'

"Well, I'm not interested in girls her age, anyway."

"Huh?"

Kenji smiled at the reaction. "When it comes to women, I like them to be older than me. What about you?" He asked, curiously.

'Never thought about that…' Minato thought as he did think that Yukari is pretty and he can't deny that Mitsuru isn't that bad herself despite being a year older than him. And he had had crushes on some female teachers in the past. Heck he even likes Ms. Toriumi to an extent, but then there's that one girl in the Student Council who isn't that bad looking either. "I like them all." He said finally as the ramen came out.

"No way! Really? So you don't discriminate, huh?" Kenji said as he nodded in approval. "That's awesome. Good for you, man." He seemed impressed as he took a few bites of his ramen before halting and looking at Minato, who was midway of eating his ramen. "Well," the other stopped to listen "to tell you the truth, I – wait, this is just between us, okay? I have my eye on someone."

'I had a feeling this is where it's going to lead.' Minato thought as he listened.

"This is the 'secret plan' I was talking about. I'm going to ask her out. Not that that's a big deal or anything. Well, I guess it IS a big deal since she's a teacher at our school…" Kenji looked thoughtful before smiling. "Anyways, I want you to be there when I ask her out. But you gotta promise you won't tell anyone, okay? Cuz if people find out they'll be all like, 'That's inappropriate' or whatever…" He waved his hand as he told the other more of his plan.

Minato felt a stir in his chest and knew his bond has gotten a bit stronger now before Kenji mentioned about his favorite show is about to come on and left, leaving his share of the pay as he did. He sighed as he slurped up his ramen. 'I hope I don't get the hand of judgment if this turns out bad.' He thought, picturing himself being on trial for conspiring with helping Kenji getting a date with a teacher. 'I really don't want to be in jail and leave Sissy all alone.'

xxx

Meanwhile, just after Minato left to talk to Kenji, Minako was about to head to the dorm when she saw Yukari also heading out the same way. 'I haven't talked to her much, maybe we could spend some girl time together.' She thought as she went up to Yukari and ended up walking together to Paulownia Mall and into the Chagall Café.

"U-um, well…" Yukari said as she seemed a bit restless. "There's… something I need to say to you."

"Okay, what is it?" Minako asked as she stirred her cocoa, waiting for the other to continue.

"Um… You probably might not remember, but… Um…" She looked a little panicked. "When you woke up in the hospital… You know, after the dorm was attacked by a Shadow and you and your brother discovered your Personas…" She looked at the other, who simply tilted her head to let her continue. "You know how I said all those things to you two right after you woke up? Like, 'you're the same as me' and 'you're alone', and stuff about your parents…" She looked down at her own cocoa before she continued. "Um… I think that I might've been making assumptions about the both of you. I mean, I lost my dad, but in your case it's both your parents… And even thought things may seem the same, people react to them differently…" She sighed. "But I ignored how you might've felt and forced my own opinions onto you and Minato. I've been worrying all this time that I might've said some unfair things to you that day. And I want to properly apologize for it. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Yukari." Minako said with a smile. "To be honest, I kinda forgot about that, but I do remember what you're talking about."

"Yeah…" Yukari said as she fingered the napkin that was close to her. "But… I still do sense something similar between us. You might not like it, since it's the fact that we're both, including Minato, missing parents… Still, I've never had anyone who could understand it around me before…" She sighed. "It's different for everyone else at school. They have both their parents at home…"

"Not all of them." Minako said, keeping the other in reality. "We don't know everyone at school who has both parents. Some may have one and others like me and Toto-nii have none, but we have each other."

"I know that… but they can complain about how they'll get yelled at if they come home late… I…" She looked sad. "When I hear stuff like that, I feel jealous. But I hate feeling that way, so I hide it… And because I can't tell anyone that, I feel distant… I felt lonely."

"Yukari-chan…" Minako said, as she didn't realize how the other felt until now. 'She always seems to have it together, even after she told us her story in the hospital. But she's just lonely…' She thought as the other looked back up to her.

"So when I heard about you and your brother, I felt that you guys could save me from that…" She then looked surprised and smiled. "Yikes! Sorry! I'm being selfish again, I know. But, the fact that you're part of our group now makes me feel a lot better." She smiled a bit more, showing how appreciative she is. "I'm glad that you joined us." She then started to laugh a little. "I'm just going around in circles with this pity party, aren't I? But…" She closed her eyes and smiled calmly. "That's how I really feel."

Minako felt a stirring in her chest as she knew she had a bond with the other girl. "Yukari-chan…" She said in a calm tone. "It's okay to be selfish. Believe me… even though I lost both my parents, I still have my brother, but sometimes he gets into the role of being a parent, especially when I feel like crying or when someone tries to pick on me. I just wanted him to be just my brother…"

"That's just shows how close you two are." Yukari said.

"I know you and your mom don't get along, but at least she doesn't outright hate you." She said as she looked down. "Our aunt didn't like us, but she definitely couldn't stand the sight of me, because I look just like Mom." She sighed. "And that would make Brother very protective of me. He does look a bit like Mom, but he's a guy so she doesn't give him so much as a glance."

"She must've hated your mom, huh?"

"She was jealous of Mom… and Brother and I think she must've hated her when she married Dad." She shrugged. "Well, that's all in the past now. Just a chapter in a book." She finished her cooled down cocoa. "Now I get to be somewhat normal and still have Brother being Brother and no one else." She smiled. "And we got friends we can count on now as well. We didn't have any of that before we came here."

Yukari seemed surprised to hear this. "I see…" She then rubbed her arm. "It's starting to get a little cold out. Let's go home."

Minako nodded happily. "Yeah!" She said as they made it to the dorm, just when Minato was about to open the door and they entered into the lounge area, where Mitsuru welcomed them back.

"And for your information…" Mitsuru continued. "The Internet line which was ripped apart by the Shadow will be fixed tomorrow. If you have a computer in your room you should be able to connect. Well, that takes care of everything that was damaged…" She looked at Akihiko "except, of course, Akihiko's rib cage." Not shying the fact that she was smiling as she said this.

"Would you quit picking on me for that?" Akihiko said with a dull glare as he worked away in his notebook.

"Just gives you enough reason to not be so reckless next time."

"You two sound like an old married couple." Junpei said as the two seniors looked at him. "You do!"

"That's only because we've known each other for quite some time." Mitsuru said as she flipped another page in her book.

"That's true…" Junpei said. "Speaking of Internet… all this talk about it reminded me of something." He looked at the twins. "Do either of you play any online games?"

"I do, Sissy now and then." Minato said as Minako shrugged.

"Nice. Well, dude, you gotta check this one out. It's called 'Innocent Sin Online'. Totally was addicted to that one for a while, but then I got burned out… But you guys still give it a try, it's pretty fun." He then looked thoughtful. "Now that I brought it up, I don't think I've touched it in a while. I should probably log in sometime."

"Well, I'm going out after I put my stuff down." Minato said. "Since Showa Day is tomorrow."

"I forgot about that!" Minako said as she yawned. "I'm tired… I'm going to bed."

"Sweet dreams, Sissy."

"Don't stay out too late, Toto-nii. Night!" She said as she waved and headed up the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going at this hour?" Yukari asked.

"Looking for part-time work." He said simply. "I figured since we're here, that we can do something to earn some extra cash for when we need it."

"Oh, I see."

"I'll accept that." Mitsuru said. "Just be sure to contact us when you have any information that we need to know."

"Will do Senpai." He said as he looked at Yukari. "You watch out for my sister, okay. She didn't seem happy when she came in. So take responsibility."

Yukari was taken aback by this. "How can you tell?"

"I'm her older twin brother. I know these things." He said simply as he walked out the door.

"Ouch…" Junpei said with a hiss. "Got served by the Big Bro. What'd ya do?"

"Nothing! We just talked! Like normal people would!"

"Must've been something heavy though." Junpei said as he shrugged. "I got it easy when I hung out with her. Made her the happiest she's ever been from what I've been told."

"I hardly believe that." Yukari said as she went up the stairs. "Good night!"

"Yeesh, could be a little nicer…" Junpei said with a sigh. "It's official, Ko-tan would have to teach Yuka-tan to be a bit nicer to others."

Akihiko raised a brow at that as he was a bit curious. "What did you mean by making her the 'happiest she'd ever been'?"

"Oh that? Well, it all started out like this…" Junpei said as he retold the time when he took her out to have ramen while Mitsuru continued to read her book as if they didn't exist in the room.


	17. Episode 16: Showa Day

Ep. 16: Showa Day

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Average, Plain, Timid

-4/29-

The twins woke up and they tinkered around the computer they have and found that the internet does work.

"Would you like to use this first?" Minato asked as Minako shook her head.

"Nope. I plan to use my day off to enjoy the simple pleasure of walking around town." She said as she stood up. "I got my homework done and I'm not going to waste a perfectly good day indoors."

"Just don't get picked up by weirdos." Minato said.

"Don't kid me, Brother."

"I'm dead serious."

Minako smiled as she kissed his temple. "I'll be okay. I'm not as helpless as before." She patted his back. "If nothing else, I'll be at the bookstore again."

"Can't help but love those guys, huh?"

"Admit it! You like them just as much as I do!"

"Go on and enjoy your day!"

"Enjoy your gaming."

"How'd you know?"

"C'mon Bro… You honestly don't know that I know you?"

"Should I be scared?" He teased as she laughed and headed out while he started to type in the web address to the online game. "Okay… What do we have here…" He said as he logged in and saw the message opening for 'Spring, the year 20XX' before a new message popped up to let him know he was welcomed and all that beginner stuff before taking his mouse curser to the Lunarvale Hospital where there was one other person in the area.

'_Sup xD_' Typed the girl in gray. '_asl…? Oh wait, r u a nub? U r, huh? ___ oh wow. U haven't even finished generating your char yet… o_O welcome to the game! Good thing I'm using my low level alt_'

'This person is kinda fun.' Minato thought as the other user continued to type.

'_I think its jus u an me, this is kind of a dead MMO these days xD_'

"Just us, huh?" He whispered as he typed that in and waited for a response.

'_sry. I got kinda ooc there =o we r supposed to be our "alternate selves" rite? Uhhhh… yeah =/_'

He chuckled at that.

'_sooo… what r u gonna call ur char? We can meet up later_.'

"No… idea…" He said as he typed it out.

'_hm… hey, I got a good name for u =3 how bout tatsuya? Kyahahaha! That's good, imo I'll change mine to maya, k? =D have a little déjà vu? ;P_'

He chuckled as he knew exactly what this person was talking about as he replied that she, as he was assuming, was clever and waited for a response.

'_o rly? I'm impressed I didn't think many people played that! Well, if u see any jokers, be sure to rescu me, k? ^^y ne way, I'm usually idling here on my days off… _ so if ur bored, maybe we can level together, it sux to be lonely =P_'

He felt a stirring in his chest and blinked in surprise. 'I can even make a bond even in this situation? I guess it's still a form of connection.' He thought as he saw another message from Maya.

'_sry gtg remember, let's think positive! Traesto! xD_' And with that Maya logged off, and so did he.

"That was fun." He said with a smile. "And now I have some more time to kill." He looked at his books and got up to pick one of his texts up. "May as well study the rest of the day."

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, after she left the shared room, she headed down the stairs only for Junpei to catch her before she reached the first floor. "Morning Junpei."

"Hey Ko-tan!" He said as he raced down to meet her. "You wanna hang out today? Or do you already have plans?"

"I don't really have a plan in mind. I was just going out for a walk."

"Cool. So, wanna see a movie?" He said as he seemed to beam.

'He seems excited to go.' She thought as she nodded. "Okay, I haven't been to a movie in a while."

"Sweet!" He said as he grabbed her wrist. "Let's go then!"

"Junpei! Slow down!" She said with a laugh as they headed down to the lounge.

"Later Senpais!" Junpei called out. "We'll be back later!" He opened the door.

"See you!" Minako said as she was dragged outside and she closed the door before chasing after the junior boy. "Junpei!"

Inside, the two seniors were at a bit of a loss before Mitsuru turned back to her book, which she was almost done with but Akihiko continued to look out of the window before he looked back at the paper.

xxxxx

Back with Minako and Junpei, they headed to Tatsumi Port Island station and went towards the movie theater, Screen Shot Theaters.

"This is it!" Junpei said excitedly. "'Double-Barreled Justice'! I've been looking forward to this coming out!" His eyes were lit up, making Minako just as excited.

"Why are we out here then? Let's go!"

"Ooh, are you looking forward to it too?" Junpei teased as he grabbed her wrist. "Alright, let's get some good seats!" With that they headed up to the ticket counter, got their tickets, and quickly headed in to watch the movie.

xxxxxx

After the movie was over, two hours later, they headed out of the theater and walked towards a bench.

"Hrm…" Junpei said, looking a bit disappointed.

"What's the matter?"

"It was… kinda not what I was expecting." He said as he cocked his head to the side. "The villain wasn't all that evil. It kinda killed it for me when he started talking about his tragic past… It isn't cool if you have to beat somebody who didn't want to be a bad guy. Bad guys should be evil all the way to the core. It's just more satisfying."

"It is a complex story, I have to admit." She said. "But sometimes we don't know the bad guy's past because that's how they should be… But even a bad guy has a back story."

Junpei shrugs. "Still killed it for me." He said as he looked at his watch. "Oh, you still got time, right?" He asked her as she nodded. "Let's grab something to eat on the way back."

"I am getting kinda hungry."

"I know just the place!" Junpei said as he led them to Iwatodai strip mall, and entered Wild-Duck Burger, a fast food joint.

"I haven't been in here yet." Minako said as Junpei cursed.

"Oh, crap… The guys at school might say some stuff if they see us together."

"Huh?" She said with a tilt of her head.

"I mean, it looks like there's a lot of guys interested in you." He mentioned as he quickly made their order and they waited off to the side.

"Huh!?" Minako said as she was surprised to hear this, making the other laugh.

"Hey don't worry about it!" He said as he sighed. "Plus, the famous Yuka-tan and Mitsuru-senpai live in the same dorm, too. There are a lot of dudes who envy me because of that…"

"Are they bothering you then? If so, then I'm sorry." She said as he chuckled.

"Yeah, it's all your fault!" He teased as he patted her head, which she giggled and patted his hand away as their food came out and they took it over to the available seat they could find.

"Actually," Junpei continued with a curious look "you don't seem to be all that interested in guys."

"Huh? What do you mean?" She asked, midway to biting into her burger.

"I mean, you're not all excited and asking me who's saying all this stuff. I mean, of course you aren't. No girl would be that desperate." He said with a nod. "Also, I know you've probably got your hands full with your own stuff now." He then looked thoughtful. "Actually, the same goes for me, too…" He then looked serious, something that was very rare on him.

Minako noticed this as she felt something stir in her chest and knew her bond with Junpei just gotten a little stronger. 'He does act like Toto-nii a bit, but he's still Junpei.'

"Well, forget about that stuff!" Junpei said as he was back to his usual self. "Want more fries? You don't mind sharing with me, right?"

"Course not, since you're offering." This made both of them laugh as they chatted a bit before they headed back to the dorm, where they were greeted by Mitsuru.

"How did your day go?" Akihiko asked.

"We went to see a movie and had something to eat afterwards." Minako said as she yawned. "I'm kinda beat." She looked around. "Has my brother been down at all?"

"No he hasn't." Mitsuru informed as she closed the book she was reading. "Done." She handed it out to the girl. "Here you go. Take your time reading it."

"Thank you!" She said as she took the book. "I'm almost done reading Oliver Twist."

"How do you like it?"

"It's really good, but I felt bad for Oliver though…"

"It gets better towards the end, I promise."

Minako nodded as she hugged the book to her chest. "Thank you again, Mitsuru-senpai. Good night."

"Good night, Minako-chan." She said as she looked to see Akihiko grinning at her. "What is it Akihiko?"

"You're acting like a doting older sister."

Mitsuru dully glared at him as she sighed and got up. "I better turn in as well. See you all in the morning." With that she went upstairs.

Junpei watched as Mitsuru went up the stairs and then looked at Akihiko, who was shaking his head before looking back at his boxing glove, looking it over a few times. "Hey, Senpai?" He voiced, gaining the other's attention. "You sure you and Mitsuru-senpai aren't a couple?"

Akihiko looked at Junpei as if he grew another head as he shook his head. "No way. I respect her as a partner when we're fighting Shadows and a fellow classmate at school. But seeing her as a girlfriend?" He shook his head. "Sorry, I've known her for two and a half years and never once thought of her like that."

"Huh… Okay. It just seems you two are an item." He said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Well, then, if you did have a girlfriend, what would she be like?"

Akihiko sighed as he got up. "I'm tired. Ask me later."

"Hey! I'm just curious!"

"And we have school tomorrow."

Junpei was a bit ticked that he was brushed off. "Can't a guy have a simple guy talk around here?"


	18. Episode 17: Date and Hospital Visit

Ch. 17: Date and Hospital Visit

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Average, Plain, Timid

-4/30-

The next day was a normal day for the group as they went to school, listened to their teachers complain on some things until the class day ended.

"So, Bro, what are you going to do?" Minako asked when their friends left, saying they've already got plans of their own.

"Well…" Minato said as she scratched the back of her head. "I'm going to show Elizabeth around the mall."

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

Minako smiled. "Have fun. I might have to see when Theodore is free so I can show him around as well."

"Yeah. It looks like they don't get out much."

Minako nodded as she gathered her stuff. "Okay Toto-nii, you have fun."

"Yeah. See ya later Sissy." He said as he headed to the mall and into the alley where the door leading to the Velvet Room lies, where Elizabeth smiled and followed him out of the room and out into the mall.

"Ahh, yes… An intimate encounter with one of your world's rarities!" Elizabeth said, her golden eyes seem to sparkle while her tone was calm and even as she went up to the fountain. "This must be a 'fountain'… It makes sport of water, well known to all to be the fountain of life… How wicked!"

'What on earth is she talking about?' He thought.

"It's rumored that its enchanting nature grants wishes to those who sacrifice a few coins…" Elizabeth said as she took out a bulging coin purse.

"That's just superstion." Minato said wondering what she was going to do with such a large pouch.

"Is that so?" Elizabeth said with a raised brow. "Is it possible that the worth of the coins wasn't sufficient to pique the fountain spirit's interest?" She smiled as she lifted the purse. "Fortunately, I anticipated this and brought a good supply of coins. 2,000 of your 500-yen coins, to be exact. I shall make an opening bid to the fountain spirit of 1,000,000 yen." She opened the coin purse and the coins fell out of the purse like a bronze waterfall.

'All the money I spent down in the water…' Minato thought as he noticed some people looking at the sight in slight awe and confusion. 'Yep… this is going to be fun…' At that point Elizabeth brought up the purse with a look of realization.

"I was so caught up in the excitement of tossing in coins, that I haven't given my wish any thought." She slightly pouted. "This won't do…" She closed the purse. "I shall give it more careful consideration before I return here in the near future…" She looked around and saw the police station and headed over there. "What is this facility here?" Minato followed her to the front of the station as she looked through the window of the station. "There are some stern-faced gentlemen inside."

"It's called a police station. They keep the peace around here." He said as he quickly added. "But nothing Shadow related, they can't handle that without a Persona…"

"I see…" Elizabeth said as she looked at the photographs of the wanted criminals. "These photographs are displayed so prominently…" She studied them as she read out 'Most Wanted' and 'Reward' before looking at him. "Am I… correct in thinking of these as your version of my subjugation requests?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much…" He said as he sighed. 'What does subjugation mean anyway?'

"What do they use as proof that the target has been subjugated?" She looked thoughtful. "If they truly parallel my requests…" She looked at him. "do they require a piece of the body?" She smiled as she looked away, missing the face of shock on the young man's face. "My interest is piqued…" She looked around before the other could get a word in, making him follow up to the closed doors of the Escapade night club. "This edifice over here…" Her eyes were starting to become wide. "It can't be… Is this…" Her eyes seem to sparkle the more excited she looked. "A 'club'!?"

'She's excited…'

"Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions. A subterranean garden of uninbituated spectacle…" She said as she reached for the door handles, only to realize they are locked. "No… It's not closed for business now, is it?" She sounded disappointed.

Minato felt a little bad for her as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's open during late night hours, and I'm not really allowed in because there's an age limit."

"I see… Such a pity. I had hoped to join in on the wild ritual… but it seems one has to be of age to attend to such things and at night… I can see the logic of such a ritual…"

"Yeah… exactly…" He said not even going to bother trying to correct her when she started to do her own dance and he just stood there until she stopped.

"That was quite satisfying." She said, seeming pleased with herself. "But I'm overwhelmed… Everything looks so new and inviting. Everywhere I look, something catches the eye." She looks around and then looks at him. "If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could recommend our next activity?"

"How about we go to do some karaoke?"

"Karaoke…?" She said as she looked thoughtful. "Is that… The place where one can challenge even professional singers at the touch of a button!?" She seemed excited at the thought of it as she smiled proudly. "It seems the time has come to show you my hidden talents…" She turned to see something catch her eye. "Ah, excuse me… Would you mind waiting for a moment? I wasn't aware that there was a founting on this side as well." She pulled out the bulging purse once again as the coins fell out of the purse as she looked up to see another fountain. "Yet another fountain, on the opposite side…" She smiled. "I see… so this place is host to a trinity of fountain spirits…" She stopped the flow of the coins and headed over to the other fountain to do the same there before there was no coins left in the purse and headed over to the young man who waited patiently for her. "I apologise for the wait. Let us continue." With that they spent some time in the karaoke bar and when they were done they were out in the alley, in front of the blue door. "Thank you for the invaluable experiences you've shared with me today. I consider this mission fully accomplished." She smiled confidently. "This may sound forward, but… I'd like to accompany you again sometime."

"Sure, I had fun today." He said with a smile as he opened the door for her. "I have to get back, I still got things to do."

"Of course. Until we meet again." She said as she went into the Velvet Room.

He smiled as he headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Welcome back, Brother." Minako said as she and Mitsuru looked up to see him come in.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"She asked me to help her with some composition and classic literature homework she was having difficulty with." Mitsuru said. "How was your day?"

"It was good. Mind if I join you two? I don't have questions, but I don't want to go up to my room just yet. I may end up falling asleep."

The two girls smiled at this as Minako giggled. "That's true, that's why I stayed down here too."

"It took her nearly a half an hour before I asked her if she needed help in her studies." Mitsuru said.

"I'm not surprised. We're used to trying to do things on our own." Minato said.

"You should've seen me when she asked me." Minako said with a sigh. "I was so nervous when she offered that I studdered horribly."

"She did." Mitsuru said with an amused smile. "I find it quite cute." This made the junior girl blush.

"S-Senpai!"

Minato couldn't help but laugh at his sister's discomfort as they spent the rest of their time studying and then going to bed.

-5/1-

The next morning, the twins and Yukari were walking towards the school as the girls talked while Minato listened to music.

"And so, as that person put it…" Yukari said as she noticed that they were already by the school gates. "Yikes, we're at the school already!? That reminds me, it's gotten so warm lately. Well, I guess today is the start of May after all."

"Time flies! I haven't even realized it was only a few weeks since we got here."

"Hm? What was that?" Minato asked.

"It's already May, Bro."

"Oh… yeah… Really?"

Yukari laughed. "Seriously! A lot's happened!"

"I'll say." Minato said.

"Ya know, it doesn't seem like the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been decreasing lately… We're the only ones who can fight the Shadows, so… I guess we should train more, so we're ready if anything like THAT comes up again."

"I get it, I get it… We'll go to Tartarus." Minato said. "It's been a few days since last time, huh."

"It has." Minako said with a smile.

"Yeah, me especially. I don't wanna be a burden on everyone else."

"Yukari-chan…" The twins looked at her as she smiled at them.

"Oh, c'mon. Let's go." She said as she hurried towards the building, making the twins go after her.

xxxxx

After school, Junpei came up to them as they were packing up.

"FYI, Akihiko-san's at the hospital getting a checkup."

"When did this happen?" Minato asked.

"He called me earlier, and asked me to bring him something." Junpei said as he seemed proud of it. "Yep, he knows who to count on."

"He only asked you cuz you don't have anything else to do after school." Yukari said with a dull glare.

"H-Hey, I resent that." Junpei said as she giggled.

"I'm just kidding. So, what'd he want you to bring?"

"The class roster for 2-E."

"What's he want that for?" Yukari asked as she shrugged. "Well, I don't have practice today, so I'll go with you." She then looked at the twins. "You're coming too, right?"

"Sure." Minato said as Minako nodded.

"I'll join as well."

"Cool." Yukari said.

"W-Wait a minute…" Junpei said as the trio looked at him.

"What?" Yukari said. "Is there a problem?"

"Well, it was ME he asked…" Junpei pointed out as Minato patted his back.

"Well, we need to know how Senpai's doing anyway." Minato said as they headed out of the school.

"You're sounding like a leader, Bro." Minako said.

"I do?" He asked as she giggled as they headed to the hospital.

xxxxx

They entered a room that Akihiko was assigned to for the check-up, only to see an unfamiliar young man sitting on the bed.

The man wore a long dark maroon jacket, despite it being a bit warm out, a black beanie hat, shoulder length brown hair, and dark hazel eyes that seemed to give out warning signs to them to not make another move.

"Umm…" Junpei started to say, a bit unnerved by the young man. "Is… Akihiko-senpai… in this room? By any chance?"

That was when the door opened and in came Akihiko, who looked at the large group in confusion. "What are all of you guys doing here?"

"We came to see you!" Yukari said as Minako nodded in confirmation as she continued. "But… it doesn't look like anything's wrong with you."

"I'm just here for a checkup."

"Is that it, Aki?" Said the other young man in the room.

"Yeah, thanks." Akihiko said as the other got up from the bed.

"Tch… I don't have time for this shit." He said as he was on his way out when he stopped to look at the twins. "You…"

Minako was a bit scared of him as Minato took one step forward, but still looked calm.

"Never mind…" He said as he went out of the room.

"Wh-Who was that?" Junpei asked.

"A friend from school… sort of."

"I hate to see your enemies." Minato said as he looked at Minako. "You okay Sissy?"

"I'm okay."

"Sorry about that." Akihiko apologized as he continued. "You know how the number of Apathy Syndrome cases has been increasing?" He got a few nods from the group. "Well, he knows a few people who are suffering from it, so I was asking him about it." He looked at Junpei. "Hey, Junpei, did you bring what I asked?"

"Of course, Senpai." Junpei said proudly as he handed out the roster to the senior.

"Sorry for the trouble." Akihiko said as he took the roster. Well then, let's get going!" He said as he moved his arm a bit too quickly on his injured side.

"Uh, you shouldn't move your arm…" Junpei pointed out as Akihiko waved him off.

"It's nothing."

"Mitsuru will continue to point your injuries out if you don't take it easy." Minato said.

Akihiko sighed. "I've wasted enough time already. I need to get back to my training."

"By the way, Senpai, why boxing?" Yukari asked.

"You mean, why did I choose that sport?" He said with a raised brow before shrugging. "Well… It's not the sport itself I like; I just wanted to learn how to fight." He looked as if he had a heavy burden on his shoulder. "I know what it's like to feel powerless…" This caught the twins' attention "…and I don't want to feel that way again." He then looked confident once more. "Besides, I'm curious to see how strong I can get. It's like a game, only I'm competing against myself."

"That's an interesting way of looking at it." Junpei said as Minato nodded.

"Can anyone way, 'badass' much?" Minato said as he looked at the senior. "Must've been something really important then."

"Yeah…" Akihiko said as he took a quick glance at Minako before Junpei continued on talking.

"Ya know, I'm into games too…"

The twins knew what was going to happen next as Yukari rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, VIDEO games."

"Oh, but I like fighting games too." Junpei countered.

"Like the collection of 'Immortal War Combat'?" Minato said with a raised brow.

"Whatever…" Yukari said as she shook her head.

"Now I know we need to go to Tartarus tonight. What's one night loss of sleep anyway before the long weekend?"

"What's going on?" Akihiko asked as Minako filled him in.

"Well, Yukari was concerned about the increasing cases you just mentioned, and Toto-nii thought that it has been a while since we were in Tartarus. So it sounds like we're going to go tonight just so everyone is satisfied."

"You sound like you want to go to."

She blushed as she nodded. "Well, someone has to cover Brother's back when things get tough." She said with a smile as Minato poked her cheek.

"I can handle my own, Sissy. You're the one I have to cover when things get tough."

Minako pouted. "Toto-nii…"

"And for the record, you saved my life more than I can count." He said as he grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around and pushed her out the door in the room. "Let's go home! We have to get ready to fight tonight." He said as he left the other three into the room.

"Those two sure do look out for each other." Junpei said. "I'm almost kinda jealous. You know, being an only child."

"Same." Yukari said as Akihiko walked out of the room.

"Hurry up!" He said as they headed out of the hospital and towards their dorm, where they were greeted by Mitsuru.

"What did the doctor say? Akihiko?"

He sighed. "A few more weeks and I'll be able to train again."

"Good." Mitsuru said as Minato went up to her. "Yes?"

"Tartarus tonight." He simply said as she nodded.

"Alright, I'll let everyone know and be on standby."

"Will do." He said as everyone parted ways and waited for the Dark Hour.

"Hey… Minako…" Yukari whispered as they headed up the stairs. "Do you think that person who was in Akihiko-senpai's room his is his friend?"

"Well, Senpai does seem to know him, and he knew Senpai…"

"Yeah… but Senpai said that guy goes to our school, but I've never seen him there before…"

"Probably doesn't come as often…" Minato said as he surprised the two girls. "And quite frankly, we shouldn't pry on things we don't understand. If you want to know about the guy, then ask Senpai straight up."

"I understand… You don't need to be so tight up about it."

"It's just out of experience." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "And you still have one page of math to complete." This was followed by a groan.

"I don't like math… It's important, I know, but why?" And with that the twins went into their shared room and waited.


	19. Episode 18: Close Call in Tartarus

Ep. 18: Close Call in Tartarus

Minato: Slacker, Plain, Timid / Minako: Average, Plain, Timid

-5/1-

When they got to Tartarus, they went up back to the fifth floor to find the stairs up to the sixth floor.

"_Hold on…"_ Mitsuru said as the group waited. _"The Shadows on this floor are a bit different than the ones you've faced thus far. Proceed with caution."_

"Okay." Minato said as he mentioned the others to follow as they found a couple of black cupid-like Shadows with red face masks.

"A melon bread saying they're weak against ice!" Minato called back to his sister.

"I'm not going to make a bet on something that I know as well!" She said as she summoned Asparas and used Bufu, in which her brother followed up with an attack, then Junpei and the battle was over.

"Just as easy as the last time…" Junpei said. "Except for the boss level, but this is almost sad."

"We're trying to get to the barrier anyway, so may as well enjoy the training while we can." Minato said.

"Yeah, you're right…"

"Let's just find the stairs and see how far we can go." And with that they found the stairs leading up to the next floor, when Mitsuru told them to wait as she sensed something.

"_I detect a powerful foe above you! It's still relatively far away, but be careful as you work your way upward."_

"Will do Senpai." Minato said as he looked at the group. "Looks like another boss is waiting for us in one of the upper levels."

"Then let's go and kick his ass!" Junpei said, sounding determined.

"Okay, let's keep moving." Minato said as they went around the corner, only to come face to face with a spiky beetle-looking Shadow.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Junpei said as he seemed to be like a child with his favorite show on.

"Eew!" Yukari said as she didn't look at all pleased with this. "Why does it have to be a bug!"

"Great…" Minako said with a sigh.

"Spread out!" Minato called out as they spread out to surround the beetle. "Senpai! Analyze stat!" He got the first attack in with Junpei's help, only to see that it was tough to put a scratch on.

"Shit! It's like its wearing armor!"

"As expected." Minato said as Minako tried her hand at attacking with Orpheus using Agi, which didn't seem to do much either.

"That stat will come in handy right now!" Minako said as the Shadow faced her. "EEK!"

"Minako!" Yukari called out as she summoned Io and did a wind attack which seemed to be affected. "Huh? Is its weakness wind?"

"Nice one! Yuka-tan!" Junpei said as Minato gave her a thumbs up.

"_The Shadow you're up against is strong against Zio and weak against Garu."_

"We know what attack not to use." Minato said as he looked at Junpei. "Junpei! You, me, and Sissy attack at once! Yukari! After we attack, you finish this with a Garu!"

"Got it!" Everyone said as Junpei, Minato, and Minako did their attacks and Yukari finished the Shadow.

"Oh yeah! We kicked ass!" Junpei cheered as the others agreed. "And Yuka-tan, you were awesome!"

Yukari smiled as she seemed proud. "Well, I wanted to get that thing away from Minako, and I figured a wind attack will do the trick."

"And it worked well. Thanks, Yukari." Minato said.

"What are teammates are for?" She said as she smiled.

"Let's get going, we still got a lot of floors to cover." Minato said as they continued until they cleared the floor and found the stairs to get to the next level.

"_Are you alright?"_ Mitsuru asked, sounding a bit concerned.

"We're okay, Senpai." Minato said.

"Yeah! Yukari's healing is really helpful!" Minako said.

"_That is very good to hear… But… The powerful enemy I mentioned before is getting closer. If you're not at full strength, then just return for today." Mitsuru said as the connection was off._

"She sounded a bit worried there." Junpei said.

"It's your fault, Sissy." Minato said as Minako looked at him.

"How is it my fault!?"

"Let's keep going."

"Toto-nii!" She followed him along with the others as they got rid of the Shadows on the eighth level before finding the stairs to the next level and going up. They were a bit worn, but they agreed that, after they cleared the ninth floor, they would catch a break and fight on.

"_You're getting very close to that powerful enemy I detected earlier." _Mitsuru said when they entered the ninth floor. _"I believe it's on the next floor. Be careful."_

"We will." Minato said as he added. "We haven't harmed each other or killed one another yet, knowing how Junpei and Yukari get along."

"Hey!" Both Junpei and Yukari said as Minako giggled.

"Well, it's kinda true." Minako said as the two looked at her. "You guys do pick on each other playfully, getting on each other's nerves most of the time."

The two remained silent as Minato chuckled.

"I'm only saying the truth." He said as they cleared the ninth floor, Junpei only needed bandaging on his arm, as they decided to take a small break before finding the stairs and going up to the tenth floor.

"I detect three Shadows in this floor's central area." Mitsuru warned. "Once again, you will face the enemy that's different then what you're used to."

"Understood, Senpai." Minato said as he looked at the group. "Ready to kick this Shadow out of here?"

"Yeah!" They said as they went in and found the three, large glove looking Shadows with the blue heads that has some jewelry one them.

"Senpai! Analyze!" Minato called out as they spread out around the Shadows. "Asparas!" He called out as he placed the Envoker to his temple and summoned his Persona. "Bufu!" He watched as the ice attack hit, but didn't do much. "Okay! Bufu doesn't work!"

"Got it!" Minako called out as Yukari summoned Io and tried Garu, which was the same thing.

"Garu's the same!" Yukari announced.

"Hermes! Use Agi!" Junpei said as he summoned his Persona and used the attack, which didn't do anything. "Shit! Agi barely left a scratch!"

Minako summoned Orpheus and used Bash on one of them, finding that it was by far the most effective, if not its weakness.

"_I'm sorry… I can't get a clear reading."_ Mitsuru apologized.

"Guys! Try just normal physical attacks! I think that might work!" Minako called out.

"Okay!" Minato said as he switched to Orpheus and knocked the other two down. "All out!" Everyone attacked at once before backing up again as the Shadows got back up.

The patterned continued like that, with a couple burn attacks that were brushed off, Junpei and Yukari were also hurt a lot, making the twins take turns helping them as all of them continued to attack the Shadows, which in turn made Yukari use Dia to heal the other party members. Soon the last one was finally defeated and the group nearly collapsed.

"Shit…" Junpei said. "We were close to being goners there."

"Y-Yeah…"

"All in favor of not doing this for at least a week?" Minako said as she tried to hide whatever was left of her burnt away skirt, which her brother took his jacket off to give to her.

"That was definitely too close of a close call." Minato said.

"Yeah…" Junpei said as he got himself up, before going over to Yukari to help her up while Minato did the same for his sister.

"Let's get out of here." Yukari said as they slowly walked to the portal device and were at the entrance.

"Are all of you okay!?" Mitsuru asked as she ran up to them with Akihiko following.

"Worn. Out." Minato simply said as he managed a smile.

"We kicked their ass out of here." Junpei said with a grin.

Mitsuru sighed as she shook her head. "You had me worried." She then smiled. "But all of you showed tremendous teamwork and came out victorious. Well done, all of you."

"Shit, nearly scared me." Akihiko said as he sighed. "You guys are crazy."

"It gets the job done." Minato said as they start filing out of the tower and headed to the dorm, where everyone knew the junior group was going to be sore and tired as hell in the morning.


	20. Episode 19: Wallet Searching and Warning

Ep. 19: Wallet Searching and Warning

Minato: Average, Plain, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Plain, Timid

-5/2-

The twins made their way to school that morning, drained from last night's escapade when they overheard some gossiping students.

"Golden week starts tomorrow. Have you got any plans?"

"Ehh… Not really. But I'm not gonna miss tomorrow's show!"

"Oh, yeah! You mean Tanaka's show, right? When I hear that jingle, I can't resist buying something…" The gossiping student giggled. "I never miss it when it's on Sunday afternoons. I'm about to go broke!"

When the gossiping students went farther ahead of them, the twins looked at each other to do a silent exchange before hurrying up to their class.

xxxxx

When class ended, they headed out to see Chihiro in which Minato told his sister to wait a moment as he said hello to her, which she suddenly took on a defensive.

"Oh, Arisato-san…" She said nervously. "Um… C-Can I help you!?" She seemed to glare suspiciously at him.

He was a bit confused by this. "I just wanted to talk…"

"I-I-I don't have anything to talk about!" She said as she seemed to realize her mistake as he stepped back. "Oh, um… I'm sorry…"

"It's okay…" He said as he sensed the odd atmosphere surrounding them. "I'll see you around then…" He headed back with his sister as they made their way out of the school.

"She's just shy, Bro." Minako said with a kind smile.

xxxxx

After that they headed out of the school and they headed over to the bookstore where they saw Bunkichi, looking around the counter.

"That's strange… I swear I left it around here…" The old man said as he seemed to be looking for something. "But, I can't seem to find it."

"Looking for something?" Minako asked, gaining his attention.

"Ko-chan? To-kun? How'd you know I was looking for something? Are you two psychic?" He looked surprised. "I'm looking for my glasses… No, not my glasses—my wallet… I can't seem to find it."

"We'll help you look." Minako said, surprising the old man once more.

"Wow! You two really can read minds! I was just thinking it'd be nice if someone gave us a hand."

They were then on the search for nearly an hour before Bunkichi sighed. "Where could it be?" He then looked confused. "Wait, what were we looking for?"

The twin's sweat dropped at that when someone entered the shop.

"Konnichiwa, 'ello!" Said a junior in nothing but black with the shirt having some dragon design on it, short, blond hair, sky blue eyes, fair skin, and lean form. "I found zis on ze ground outside! Eez it yours?" He asked as he held up a wallet and handed it to the old man.

"Wow! This is it! I've been looking for this wallet everywhere!"

'Everywhere but outside…' Minato thought.

"Well, it's not a golden wallet, but I'm still happy to have it back!"

The foreigner student looked their way. "Sumimasen, excuse me… Aren't you ze transfer students everyone eez talking about?"

"If you heard rumors of me being Yukari's boyfriend, then yeah, we're the ones you've been hearing about." Minato said as the foreigner seemed happy.

"I go to ze same school – Gekkoukan!"

"Nice to meet you." Minako said as she bowed. "I'm Arisato Minako, and this is my brother, Minato."

"What are you called?" He asked.

The foreigner bowed as well. "I came 'ere from France to study abroad." He said as he straightened. "My name eez Andre Laurent Jean Geraux.'

'That's a mouthful…' Minato thought.

"But, zey call me 'Bebe'!"

'That's better…' He thought as he smiled. "Nice to meet you."

"Hajime mashite, it eez nice to meet you too!" Bebe said happily. "I work in ze Home Economics Room every day. If you get bored, come say 'ello! I 'ope to see you zere. Sayonara, goodbye!" And with that he left the store.

"Well… He seemed like an interesting young man." Mitsuko said.

"Hmm… I thought I put it in my wallet so I wouldn't lose it…" Bunkichi said as he looked through his wallet. "Ah, here it is! I knew it was in here!" He pulled out a key that looked like it can be used in a car.

Mitsuko looked and looked surprised. "Dear? Is that key for…?"

"Come on, dear, you know what it is." He said with a smile. "It's the key for our son's car. Seeing these two reminded me of how things used to be… I haven't heard the roar of the engine in a long time. How do I look, dear?"

"Please don't!" Mitsuko cried. "Why must you get into a car!? Do you want me to end up all alone!?"

"What about a car?" Minako asked with some hesitance, sensing that the reason wasn't too far off to what she and her brother were thinking.

"Um, Ko-chan…" Mitsuko said softly. "I'm sorry for raising my voice. Did I scare you?"

Bunkichi then sighed as he looked a little down. "Our son… Remember what I told you? How he passed away… On the way home from work, he got into an accident… He was hit by a dump truck driver who was drunk on the job…"

"I'm sorry to hear that…" Minako said as Minato nodded solemnly.

"Ko-chan, please slap me…" Bunkichi asked, surprising the young woman. "Slap me for being an insensitive fool… With all my excitement, I forgot to consider how my wife might feel… I'm such a… I'm such a…" He looked very guilty about what he did.

The twins were reminded of the night that they lost their parents, but they kept quiet as they felt a stirring in their chests and knew once again that the bond with the old couple has grown.

"Hm? Why should we let this get us down?" Bunkichi said, trying to lighten the mood as the sky was getting dark. "Since I found my wallet, why don't we eat out, dear?" He said to his wife before looking at the twins. "Thanks for searching with us, Ko-chan, To-kun. Consider this your allowance." He handed them some medicine, which both were grateful for it, since they would be doing Tartarus sometime soon.

With that they said their good nights to the couple and headed back to the dorm. When they entered the lounge, they were greeted by Junpei.

xxxxx

"S'up dudes!" Junpei greeted as he seemed excited. "Three-day weekend starting tomorrow!" He then sighed. "I asked some peeps if they wanted to hang out, but the only ones interested were guys… Man, I don't want no sausage fest…"

"Where were we when you were asking around?" Minato asked as Minako giggled.

"I didn't know if it was cool with you."

"I know to at least trust you and Senpai with my sister."

"Toto-nii!"

"Huh?" Akihiko voiced looking up from a book. "What's this about?"

Junpei laughed. "Cool man! I won't let you down!"

"You haven't so far. Don't break it."

Mitsuru giggled as she put down the paper. "I don't mean to interrupt, but need I remind you that midterms are quickly approaching? You had best use your time wisely."

Yukari sighed loudly. "You HAD to remind me…"

"That reminds me…" Minato whispered as he went up to Yukari. "Hey, do you happen to have pine resin on you?"

"Pine resin?" Yukari said as she seemed to understand. "Ohhh, okay… You mean the powder we use in Archery Club, right? The yellow stuff? We use it even in practices, so it runs out quick… But I think I have some left… Hang on." She got up to head up the stairs to her room, then a few minutes later she came down with a container of the yellow powder. "Here you go." She looked curiously at Minato. "What did you need it for, anyway? Got a bow to take care of?"

Minato didn't know what to respond to that when Yukari shrugged it off.

"Whatever."

"Thanks Yukari." He said as he headed towards the door with Minako. "We're heading out. We'll be back before it gets too late."

"Be safe." Mitsuru said as the twins left the dorm.

"You're letting them go out at this hour?" Yukari asked.

"I trust those two to keep themselves safe. I have no reason to suspect them doing unfavorable activities."

"So… Can I go out as well, Senpai?" Junpei asked, a bit hopeful.

"You have studying to do." Mitsuru shot him down. "Both of them have done their share for the past few nights."

"Aww man…"

xxxxx

Back with the twins, they went to Paulownia Mall and went into the alley to open the Velvet Door and saw the brother and sister assistants.

"How may we help you?" They both said in unison as Minato presented the pine resin.

"Is that soybean powder…?" Elizabeth asked as she looked at the powder.

"No, dear sister," Theo said. "It has the smell like freshly-cut pine."

"Ah, yes… it must be the pine resin we requested. It does look like soybean powder, though…"

"I agree, I never imagined that this is what pine resin would look like."

"It's so similar that even an expert on soybean powder such as myself can't tell the difference." Elizabeth seemed to beam at this. "Your reward for this assignment will be soybean powder." She then seemed to realize something. "Ah, excuse me. I was just cooking something with soybean powder, so…"

Theo looked a little sick by the mention of that. "I'm sorry, please put that away." He then looked at the twins as he quietly whispered to them. "It's just that… I've been forced to eat several platefuls of soybean powder before."

"Hmm…" Elizabeth hummed as she had the pine resin in one hand and soybean powder in another to show off her knowledge of soybean powder. "Which hand was the pine resin in… my right, or my left…?" She looked troubled by this. "They look so similar…"

Theo sighed as he looked a little green. "Soybean powder is… it's simply dreadful food."

"Why do you say that, Brother?"

"It absorbs all the moisture in your mouth and makes very spoonful an exquisite torture…"

"That's because…" Minako said as the two looked at her. "That's because you use the powder for flavoring certain foods, not straight up."

Elizabeth looked a bit shocked as Minato nodded his head.

"Sissy's right. It's great to know what kind of soybean powder to use in what foods, but just eating the powder itself could make anyone sick."

"I told you!" Theo said as Elizabeth blushed.

"I knew that! I just wanted to know which flavors you liked before using them in the food."

'That's a terrible lie.' The twins thought as Theo nodded.

"I understand, Sister. Forgive me for shouting at you." He said as both he and Elizabeth handed the twins the bow, Siren's Song.

"Please come again." They said as they watched the twins leave the Velvet Room.

"Hey Sissy, want to play the trivia game in Game Panic?"

"Yes!" She said as they went over to the arcade and played until it was getting late and hurried home to bed, stopping by Yukari's room to hand her the new bow, which she nearly woke up the whole dorm due to the surprise gift and headed to bed.

xxxxx

When the long hand hit the midnight mark, the Dark Hour set in. The twins were just about to doze off when they sensed someone other than them in the room.

"Hi, how've you two been?"

They turned to see the mysterious boy in the room as he chuckled.

"It's been a while. Are you well?"

The twins nodded as Minato asked how he got in the room.

"As I've told you before, I'm always with you." He said with a small smile. "One week from now, there will be a full moon…" He disappeared as he reappeared on their nightstand in-between them. "Be careful. A new ordeal awaits you…"

"What about the full moon?" Minako asked as he disappeared and reappeared at the foot of her bed.

"Yes, on such days you will face your greatest challenges. You two must prepare for the ordeal, but time is of the essence…" He smiled childishly. "I'm sure you're aware of that, of course." He disappeared and reappeared again in-between their beds. "I'll come see you two again when it's over. Goodbye for now." He then disappeared for the time being.

"What was that about?" Minako asked as Minato shrugged.

"Who knows…" He said as he laid back down in bed. "Get some sleep."

Minako nodded as she laid on her back and drifted off to sleep.


	21. Episode 20: Golden Week pt1

Ep. 20: Golden Week pt. 1

Minato: Average, Plain, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Plain, Timid

-5/3-

The next morning was Constitution Day, the beginning of Golden Week. The twins were up and dressed as Minato turned on the T.V. that was in their room and found the channel where the shopping show was said to be on.

"You're not going to buy anything are you?" She asked him as she put on her sweater, fixing her pony tail as she did

"I'm just checking it out." He said as she sighed.

"I'm going out then. Want me to bring you back anything?"

"Nope. You have fun." He said as she left and he did ended up buying something from the show. "I better go to the shrine to ask for forgiveness for my sister." He then headed to the computer and logged in Innocent Sin Online, where he found his character inside Lunarvale Hospital, where he was the only character in the area before 'Maya' signed on.

_Wb, tatsuya *^_^* good to see u again u remember me rite? =/_

"Of course." He said as he typed it.

_u really DO remember!1 n_n this is exactly like when maya and tatsuya remember. ^_^-b hmm… what kina people r we, playing inside on such a beautiful day?_

'I know Sissy likes the sunshine when she can.' He thought as he typed in "Sunshine's overrated."

_HahaHaha! Dman straight! XD its not like we're otaku or ne thing irl ne way. lol… we're s'posed to be leveling, but we jus keep on chatting =3 but hey, grinding gets old rite? It's more fun talking to u, tatsuya._

He was touched by that as he felt a stir in his chest and smiled at the bond that was just a bit stronger now.

_zomg! Ummm… I'll be afk for a while, so I'm logging off. Sry! I forgot the big sale ends today =x_ And with that Maya signed off.

He signed off as well as he turned to his text books and started to study a bit. "Too lazy to go out anyway."

xxxxx

With Minako, she headed towards the shrine and made her offering and prayer before she had an idea and called up her brother. "Wanna head over to the bookstore?" She asked as she headed over there.

When she got there she got a text from Minato that he wasn't very far and to go ahead on in, and she did to find Bunkichi behind the counter.

"Ah! Ko-chan!" He greeted as he chuckled. "Too bad you didn't come earlier. My wife just left for Gekkoukan."

"Will she be gone long?" She asked as she wondered if the school was even open during Golden Week.

"Well, she won't be gone long. Why don't you keep me company, Ko-chan?"

"Okay, my brother is on his way here as well." She said as the old man chuckled.

"Are you thirsty? Here, let's share this." He said as he looked around. "Wait, where are the cups?" He chuckled sheepishly. "I'm afraid I'm completely useless without my wife." Not long after he said that the door opened and in rushed in Mitsuko. "Hello, dear. You came back just in…"

"T… T-T-Tree…" She tried to say as she looked pale.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked as Bunkichi patted his wife's back. "Calm down, dear." With that Minato came in to see this sight.

"I saw her ran in here, is everything okay?" He asked as he came up to them.

"See, you have To-kun and Ko-chan worried too. You oughta know better than to walk that far at your age…" He said as he seems worried. "Here, drink this." He handed her a small cup of tea. "And here's one for you, Ko-chan, and one for you, To-kun."

Both twins thanked him for the tea as they saw Mitsuko calm down a little but still looked sad.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked.

"Judging by her reaction, it seems the rumor was true…"

"Rumor?" The twins said in unison, knowing that the school was full of those.

Bunkichi nodded. "The persimmon tree by the walkway, at your school… My wife heard a rumor that it was going to be cut down, and she almost fainted." This shocked the two. "Do you know anything about it, you two?"

"We didn't even know about that till now." Minato said.

"Now I'm worried…" Minako said as the old man smiled kindly.

"You two are so kind." He said. "I'm worried too. I tried to look into the rumor, but… I think I was 'barking up the wrong tree…'" This made them chuckle a little.

"Ko-chan, To-kun," Mitsuko said "if it's not too much trouble, can you tell us if you hear anything about the persimmon tree?"

The twins nodded their heads as they both felt something stir within them and knew they made their bond stronger with the old couple.

"I hate to trouble you two, but…" Mitsuko said as she seemed sad. "Please let us know if you hear anything about the persimmon tree."

"You can 'leaf' that to us." Minato said, earning a few giggles.

"We might now a few people that may know about this." Minako said. "We'll let you guys know when we find anything out."

"Thank you." Mitsuko said, seemingly happier now.

"Well now! It's already getting this late, you two should head back, don't want your parents to worry about you two."

The twins didn't have the heart to tell them that they don't have parents and bid them goodnight and headed back to the dorm.

"Do you think Mitsuru-senpai would know?" Minako asked.

"Who else would know?" Minato said as they made their way to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived, they found that Mitsuru wasn't at the lounge, instead Junpei was there to greet them.

"Where is everyone?" Minato said as he sat next to Junpei, who was reading a manga about a cyborg cowboy.

"Studying. Mitsuru-senpai made it very clear that she will execute anyone who disturbs her. Akihiko headed out somewhere, and Yuka-tan is studying as well."

"I see… Hey, have you heard about a rumor regarding about a tree being cut down?"

"Huh? No, not really. Is it important?"

"Don't know, but it must've been something important for it to be there in the first place." Minako filled in as she sat in one of the large comfy chairs.

"Well, I don't know what else to tell ya."

"Well, Mitsuru is definitely not going to talk even if we're polite about it." Minato said with a sigh. "Looks like we'll have to talk to her tomorrow."

Minako nodded. "Yeah, we should also hit the books before we go to bed."

"You guys are gonna study too?" Junpei said, a bit down at that.

"I've already studied earlier, so you can go ahead Sissy. I'm gonna hang with Junpei."

"Okay Bro. Don't get too loud or Yukari-chan is gonna give you a good one." She said as she said goodnight to the two and headed up.

"You sure man? I didn't mean to make it sound like you have to hang out."

"It's cool. I really did study earlier today." Minato said with a grin. "Besides, I still have to own you in Battle Galore."

Junpei grinned as well. "Oh it's on!"


	22. Episode 21: Golden Week pt2

Ep.21: Golden Week pt. 2

Minato: Average, Plain, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/4-

The next morning it was Greenery Day, the second day of Golden Week, and the twins got up to find that Mitsuru was gone, something about having some business to take care of, or so says Akihiko who was the only one up when they headed to the lounge.

"How's studying going for you two?" The senior asked.

"Going pretty well." Minato said.

"Tackling one problem at a time." Minako said.

"That's good to hear." Akihiko said with a smile. "Maybe you two should help Junpei, whenever he finally gets up."

"He's still not up?" Minato asked. "We went to bed about the same time." He then shrugged. "Oh well, we'll see what we can do."

"Where are you guys headed?" Akihiko asked.

"Around town." Minato said as Minako did a more specific explanation.

"We're going to the shrine first to pray for everyone's health and then head over to Iwatodai strip mall and hang out in the bookstore. I'm looking for a book for Mitsuru-senpai to thank her for being really nice to us since we arrived here."

Akihiko smiled kindly at her. "That's very kind of you. I think she will be more than speechless." He chuckled at that. "Well, you two stay out of trouble then."

"We normally do on a daily basis." Minato said with a grin as they headed out of the dorm and to the shrine, made their prayers, before heading over to the bookstore, where they entered to see the old couple looking uneasy.

"Oh, Ko-chan, To-kun. We were just talking about you." Bunkichi said. "I'm sorry for troubling you about the persimmon tree…"

"It's what you 'beleave'." Minako said, making the couple smile as well as Minato to chuckle.

"That's cleaver, Sissy."

"Good one, Ko-chan!" Bunkichi said. "It's really nice having you two around… I can make stupid puns whenever I feel like it!" He then calmed down. "That persimmon tree is a reminder of our son…" He started to explain. "Before his death, he was a teacher at Gekkoukan High School. He planted that tree on graduation day with the students in his first class."

Mitsuko sighed sadly. "That tree is about to bear fruit… Why now…? Why do they want to cut it down now?" She questioned sadly.

"Don't worry, we're going to figure this out." Minako said as Minato nodded.

"Sissy's right, there's still a chance after all."

"Thank you, both of you." Mitsuko said as she smiled at them. "That makes me feel a lot better. It's very comforting talking to you two."

Bunkichi chuckled. "Your kindness encompasses everything, Ko-chan." He said as Minako blushed.

"That's my sister for you. That's why I worry about her constantly."

"Toto-nii…" She whined a little, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Bunkichi chuckled at this. "I wouldn't blame you, To-kun. It's like I'm looking at my wife when she was young!"

Minato laughed a bit. "Then she's definitely going to age well."

"Quit teasing me! I'm right here!" She said, but she couldn't help but laugh, making the couple laugh as well. Then she felt a stir in her chest and looked to see that her brother was also feeling it as well.

Minato finally calmed down from laughing as he noticed that it was getting late out.

"Well…" Bunkichi started as he calmed down from laughing. "Don't worry too much about the tree. Just stop by when you get the chance." He then looked like he remembered something as he reached to the counter to grab something. "Oh, and take this. It's left over, but it's still good…" He stuffed a crab bread into their pockets as they thanked him. "You two take care now."

"We normally do. And you as well." Minato said. "We'll come back soon."

"Good night! See you soon!" She said as they headed out and back towards the dorm where they saw Junpei and Akihiko, talking before they came in.

"S'up dudes! Did you find that book you're looking for?" Junpei asked.

"Nope, I realized that I don't know what books that she doesn't have in her library." Minako said with a sheepish laugh. "Is she available by any chance?"

"If you're okay risking execution for it." Akihiko said as he seemed to ponder about that. "But if it's coming from you, she'll hear you out."

"Huh? How come?" Minako asked as she pointed at herself.

"Because she likes you. I should know, I've known her a while." He said with a smile. "Go on before she gets too engrossed in whatever subject she's in."

Minako blushed a bit as she remembered seeing that smile before sometime ago as she nodded and headed up to Mitsuru's door.

Minato stayed down as he sat down on the large comfy chair. "So what did you guys do?"

"I took a bit of a walk out." Akihiko said. "I got too bored."

"I played Hell's Gate for a bit, but it kinda got boring. It's not fun unless you got some pals to play along with." Junpei said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Then I came down and talked to Senpai."

"You didn't beat my score on that, did you?"

"I was this close to it." He brought up his hand to indicate with his pointer and thumb in a half inch space between to show how close he was. "But man… How the hell did you get pass the Hell spawn army? It's nearly impossible." And with that they guys talked about games and study tips for Junpei throughout the hours of the night.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, she knocked on the door to Mitsuru's room.

"Who is it?" Mitsuru's voice was heard behind the door, sounding a bit annoyed.

"It's Minako, can I ask you something right quick, please?" She said as she heard footsteps heading to where the door is before the door opened to see the senior, already in her night clothes with a clean white robe surrounding her.

"Yes?"

"Oh, I was at the bookstore with Brother today, and I wanted to give you a book as thanks, but I don't know what kind of book to get, in case you already have a copy of it."

Mitsuru seemed a bit surprised to hear this as she smiled a bit amused. "That is very kind of you, but you don't need to get me anything."

"But I want to." Minako said as she blushed out of embarrassment. "You've been really kind to me and Brother ever since we arrived and looked out for us as we got adjusted here. There has to be some way to thank you… So I thought getting you a book you didn't have would be a way to say that."

Mitsuru was truly touched by this as she smiled. "I don't have that one book that goes by some title about a great depths of the ocean." She said, making the girl look thoughtful.

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?"

Mitsuru nodded. "That's right."

Minako beamed as she nodded. "Okay! I'll go look for that with Brother the next time we go to the bookstore." She then bowed to her. "I'm sorry for bothering you when you're studying."

Mitsuru chuckled. "It's not a bother at all. I'm glad we had this talk."

Minako nodded happily as she said her goodnight to her senpai, who returned it by saying so as well, and headed to her shared room. 'She's like a big sister.' She thought as she smiled more. 'I'm so glad Mitsuru-senpai is the person we get to dorm with! And Akihiko-senpai is like a big brother too.' She felt really happy as she flopped onto the bed. 'We're so lucky to be here. This is what a home should be!' She got up and was feeling motivated to study. "Senpai is studying hard, so it's not impossible!" And with that she ended up studying until she'd gotten tired.


	23. Episode 22: Golden Week pt3

Ep. 22: Golden Week pt. 3

Minato: Average, Plain, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/5-

The next morning was Children's Day, the third and last day of Golden Week as Minako found a box in the room, addressed to her brother and scolded him about purchasing items from the shopping show, in which Minato begged for forgiveness as he explained that he got the stuff because it was useful for when they head out to Tartarus. With that they looked at the contents, which they were useful and she had forgiven him to a degree.

"Don't waste all our money without telling me first! Baka!" She said.

"I know, I know." He said as he made note to start working more at the café.

Minako then looked out towards the window and smiled at yet another beautiful clear day before the question about the tree came to mind. "Toto-nii… are we still going to ask Mitsuru-senpai about that tree?"

Minato thought for a moment as he got his jacket on. "Bunkichi-san said not to worry about it… But it's kinda bugging me a little."

"Should we talk to them then?"

"We have the day to ourselves." He said. "Might as well find out while we have it. School does start up again tomorrow."

"Yeah…" She said as she got her shoes on and grabbed her red scarf. "Let's head on out then." With that they headed down, told the seniors where they were going, and headed out of the dorm and towards the bookstore.

xxxxx

When they arrived there, they can sense the heavy atmosphere as the couple seemed to be very still and calm before Bunkichi looked up to see them before looking at his wife.

"Dear, Ko-chan and To-kun are here. So, would you please cheer up?"

That's when the twins noticed that Mitsuko had been crying.

"I understand their reasoning…" Mitsuko started. "But… But if… If that tree is gone…" She sniffed. "If that tree is removed, I feel like the memory of my son will vanish with it…"

"Mitsuko-san…" Minato said as Mitsuko wiped her tears away and tried to smile.

"I'm just fretting, To-kun. Sorry to make you worry."

Bunkichi sighed. "Apparently, the rumor was true…" He said. "They really are going to cut down the persimmon tree… So, we went to the school to say goodbye." He looked at Mitsuko who looked like she was ready to cry again, which made Minako come up with a handkerchief to her. "But, that just reminded Mitsuko of our son's death…" The couple seemed very depressed as Mitsuko was handling the given handkerchief in random motions to keep her hands busy.

"Hey, cheer up." Minato said calmly. "Being like this won't get us anywhere, right?"

Bunkichi nodded in agreement. "See, dear." He looked at his wife. "That's exactly what I said! If you keep crying all the time, then what will your admirers think?" He looked at Minako. "Right, Ko-chan?"

Minako nodded. "Right, it makes me sad to see you like this. Please smile a little."

Mitsuko did smile a bit as she handed back the handkerchief. "Thank you for this, Ko-chan."

"Not a problem, Mitsuko-san. It's the least I could do." She said as she felt a stirring in her chest and knew her brother felt it as well their bond with the old couple has gotten stronger.

"Ah, it's getting late again." Bunkichi pointed out as he looked at the twins. "Stop by anytime." He said as he chuckled. "My wife feels like she's back in her days in a girls' high school whenever you're around, Ko-chan, and also to seeing a handsome young man." He chuckled. "And of course, I'm always happy to see a looker."

"Easy there." Minato said, playing along with a laugh. "She's my sister after all."

The man laughed as well, making the other two laugh as well. "Here, take this for when you two get hungry." He said as he handed them some fried bread, which they said their thanks.

"Oh! Mind if I look around here a bit? I'm looking for a particular book for my Senpai."

"What book is it you're looking for?" Bunkichi asked.

"It's titled, '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'."

"I remember seeing that earlier." Mitsuko said as she led Minako to where she thought she saw it and Minako got the book that was on a high shelf.

After purchasing the book, the twins said their goodnights and headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"S'up dudes." Junpei greeted them as he was once again alone in the lounge. "Everyone else is upstairs asleep or studying."

"School does start up tomorrow." Minato said as he sighed. "Including that exam thing coming up."

"Dude… don't mention that taboo word…" Junpei groaned.

"I'll meet you in the room, I'm going to give this to Mitsuru-senpai." Minako said as she held the book to her chest as she headed up the stairs.

"She seems happy." Junpei noted.

"She is. That's good though." Minato said with a smile as he looked at Junpei. "She never had another girl to look up to or to confide with because of how we were raised by our former aunt."

Junpei nodded. "I get it… She sees Mitsuru-senpai as a big sister." He smiled. "Well she does fit the part, and it looks like Mitsuru-senpai likes her too."

"I know I do." Minato said as he yawned. "Man… I'm tired… I'm hitting the sack." He looked at Junpei. "You should too. I've covered your ass a couple times for being late."

"Okay, okay. I get it." Junpei said as he got up to join the other. "Man… I really don't look forward to tomorrow."

Minato patted the other's back. "At least you know you're alive."

"Not funny man."

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako knocked on Mitsuru's door as she announced that it was her outside of it. When the door opened, Mitsuru was wearing a different set of pajamas, but still the same white robe.

"Yes?" The senior said as Minako handed out a very worn but intact book.

"I found the book today. It's a little beaten up, but there's no page missing!" Minako said happily.

Mitsuru took the book and smiled as she thanked her. "This is very thoughtful of you."

Minako blushed as she bowed. "Thank you very much for everything, Senpai." She straightened up to face Mitsuru's calm but amused smiling face. "Goodnight Senpai."

"Goodnight, Minako-chan. I'll expect to see you tomorrow."

Minako nodded. "See you tomorrow!" She said as she went to the shared room as Minato was heading up the level.

He went up and said his goodnight to the senior and smiled. "And thank you." He added as he continued to the door to the room.

Mitsuru stood there with a bit of a blush on her cheeks before she closed her door and went to where her bed is, opening the cover of the book and started to read.


	24. Episode 23: Tiring Day

Ep. 23: Tiring Day

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/6-

The next morning, the twins were heading towards the school gates when they overheard a couple of gossiping students.

One sighed loudly. "Golden Week is over. I'm pretty sad…" She then added. "You know, rabbits can die from sadness."

The other girl shook her head. "Okay… First, you're not a rabbit. And second, that's just a rumor."

This seemed to surprise the other girl. "What? No way! I thought it was a scientific fact…" She sighed. "But speaking of being sad… I saw an elementary school kid at Naganaki Shrine the last time I visited. She looked so sad playing all by herself. I felt sorry for her…"

The twins looked at each other, Minako looking like a kicked puppy as Minato seemed to consider what they've heard and nodded, making her smile as they rushed to their classroom, where their science teacher was also suffering from the end of Golden Week blues as she called on Minato for an answer, which he was correct on, and the day continued on from there.

xxxxx

Soon classes ended and the twins decided to check out the lonely girl at the shrine. As they were walking out, Chihiro called out a hello, which made Minato stop and said hello back.

"I was able to say hi to you!" She said, seeming to feel confident a bit.

Minako sensed that the two needed some space and walked ahead a bit, leaving Minato to talk to the Student Council Treasurer.

"I've been telling myself not to be afraid, but the more I think about it, the more scared I get…" She said as she looked nervous once more. "I hope somehow I can get better at this…"

Minato could tell that she was trying as he offered a smile. "Good luck then, you're doing a good job so far."

This made Chihiro blush as she nodded. "T-T-Thank you…"

"I'll see you around then." He said as he joined up with his sister as they made their way out of the school and towards the shrine.

xxxxx

When they arrived there, they did notice a little girl, playing in the sand but looking as though she was having anything but fun at the moment. Minato mentioned Minako to go ahead, as they made their way up to the girl.

"Hello!" Minako said, gaining the girl's attention. "Sorry to bother you. My name's Minako, and this is my brother, Minato."

"Hey." He said, with a smile to keep the mood light.

"Hi, I'm Maiko." The girl said, studying them. "Mom and Dad said not to talk to bad people… Are you bad?"

Minako thought this was cute as she remembered doing that as well. "Nope, we're really good people."

"Reeeeally?" Maiko said with a raised brow. "You're not lying, are you?"

Minato smiled as he knew the girl was smart enough to question. "What do we have to do to prove it?" He asked, amused by this.

Maiko hummed as she thought about it before speaking. "I can't play right now because I'm hungry." She looked at the two. "There's something I really want…"

"Okay, name it and we'll go get it." Minako said.

"I want to eat something that's round and hot! And soft too…" Maiko said.

"A riddle huh?" Minato said with a smile. "I think I know the answer to that." He said as he thought up another thing. "Would you like something to drink with that?"

Maiko nodded. "Yes… I want something that has a bull picture on it."

The two know what the girl wants and they set out to get it. Minako went to look for the drink within the nearby area while Minato purchased the weird takoyaki, before meeting up with her while she held a mad bull drink. With the items in hand they headed to where the girl was still at as she looked up and her face lit up at the items in their hands.

"Those are my favorites! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She said happily as the twins handed her the items as she finished off the two items as they talked a bit, getting to know each other. "Wow! I'm having so much fun!" She said as she laughed as she looked at the two. "You two are really nice. Will you be my friend?"

"Of course." Minako said, making the girl smile more.

"Then… you can come play with me again?" She looked at Minato, who smiled.

"Of course." He said with a chuckle, making the girl laugh as well.

"Really!? Then, I'll wait for you guys here!" She then pouted. "You better not be lying!"

"Well, if we're not here, that means we have stuff going on." Minato said. "We are high school students."

"I know, but don't forget, okay?"

"We won't forget. If we do, you can kick us." Minako said as they laughed.

"That's a promise then!" Maiko said.

"A promise." The two said in unison as Maiko got up and said she has to go home , waved at them, and hurried off.

The twins then looked at each other, smiling.

"I think we did the right thing." Minato said as she nodded.

"No one should feel sad at this age." Minako said as she got up. "Well! We better hurry. We still have time to get back to school to do our after school clubs."

"Race ya!" Minato said as he started to dash off.

"Hey!" She called as she chased after him.

xxxxx

Once they got to the school, they went their separate ways, Minako to tennis and Minato to track.

With Minato, he worked out with Kazushi, who like everyone was giving everything they got. It was a tough work out, but he was having a lot of fun.

"Alright!" Kazushi said. "One more! I'll show you what I'm made of!" He lunged forward when he seemed to stumble on his step. "Hm?" He looked a bit surprised and a bit in pain. "Damnit, y-you serious!?" He cursed as he fell.

"Kaz!" Called out a team member as Minato and another member lifted Kazushi up and headed to the nurse's office.

xxxxx

At the nurse's office, Kazushi said that it was just his asthma acting up, in which the varsity and junior varsity team members were telling him to not push himself too hard, but that they were still expecting him to compete in the big meet.

"Sorry, Senpai." Kazushi said.

The Varsity team member looked at Minato and asked him to take Kazushi home, which the junior agreed and the members started to file out of the room, leaving the two in the nurse's office.

"You okay?" Minato asked as Kazushi seemed a bit far away before he looked up at him.

"Wh-What? I'm fine, Minato. Um… My asthma's just acting up." He said with a reassured smile on his face, but Minato wasn't fooled.

"If you say so." Minato said, knowing something was wrong, but the other doesn't seem to want to talk about it yet.

"It-It's nothing serious." He said as he still seemed worried as he shook his head. "I can't do it! I can't lie to you!" He looked up at his fellow classmate. "Minato… I…" He sighed. "My knee hasn't felt right… Since that day you first came to practice. Even if I put medicine on it, or massage it, the pain won't go away."

Minato was a bit worried after hearing that and knew the other was like Akihiko in a way. "Will it heal?" He asked.

"Of course." Kazushi said. "But, I can't afford to stop training, so I'll work through the pain!" He said as he seemed a bit happier as he then looked determined. "Next year, there's a national competition. There will be participants from all over Japan. The regional meet pales in comparison. I have to win at that meet! I can't afford to put my training on hold!" He sighed as he looked a bit concerned. "There are a lot of nosy guys on the team. If they find out, they'll keep bugging me about it…" He looked up to the other. "Minato, please keep it a secret, alright!?"

Minato nodded as he felt a stir in his chest, letting him know that the bond between them has gotten stronger. "I will man, as long as it doesn't get worse."

"Right, if I go easy on it, I can make it home by myself."

"And everything else?" He asked as the other patted his shoulder as he got up.

"Don't worry about me. Go back to training."

"If you're sure man."

"I'm sure. Now go before those guys think something's up."

"Right…" He said as he left the nurse's office and headed back to the training area where he told the rest of the members that Kazushi was going home to rest up a bit and to not worry about him, but he can see a few of the members looking a bit worried about him. After practice he decided to head on back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minako, she found Rio and they were out in the field, which most of the members were missing.

"Is this it today?" Rio asked. "Where's everyone else?"

"No clue." Said a member with glasses.

Rio sighed as someone called out to them.

"Excuse me! Could I borrow some of you guys' tape?"

"Oh, Yuko…" Rio said as they turned to see a dark skinned girl with dark hair, and brown eyes.

"Sorry, we ran out. Is it okay if I take some from the box?" The girl called Yuko asked Rio as she looked around. "Doesn't look like you have too many people here today, huh."

"Yeah…" Rio said with a sigh.

"I wonder where they heard about that group date…" Yuko said as she sighed. "Seriously, I don't know if I should be appalled or jealous…"

"Hey, you idiot!" Called out the member with glasses.

"Group date?" Rio said, clearly not hearing this before.

"Oh…" Yuko said as she realized something. "Ohhhhh… You didn't know…" She looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry, I heard the girls in the tennis club talking about it at the shoe lockers…"

"So, everyone went to that?" Rio asked, clearly not happy about knowing this. "That's stupid… Why'd they hide it from me? All this running around behind my back is so irritating!"

"You'd get angry if we told you." Said the member with glasses.

'And keeping it a secret is any better?' Minako thought as Rio replied angrily.

"Of course I'd get angry!"

"W-Well, calm down…" Yuko said.

"What a pain…" Said the member with glasses. "They're just taking a breather. What's wrong with that!?"

"You call a group date 'taking a breather'?" Rio asked, clearly not happy about this at all.

The member then combat that by saying "Yes! I don't expect someone who's never been in a relationship to understand it, though! And what's with that attitude of yours all the time!? Who do you think you are!?"

Rio was surprised by this. "What…!?" This just made her angrier. "I'm your leader! You're the ones that nominated me! Or did you all forget about that!?"

"If we knew you'd turn out like this, we never would've nominated you!"

"What…!? Well, it's too late now!" Rio practically yelled.

"Screw this! This isn't worth my time… I'm done with this stupid club. You're a pain in the ass, and I don't care about keeping up with you. I bet everyone else is gonna quit, too." And with that the members left.

"Hey! I'm not done—" Rio called out only to fall silent.

"I-I'm sorry about that…" Yuko said, looking guilty.

"It's not your fault, Yuko." Rio said, facing her.

"Hey, I know that I'm butting into another club's business here, but…" Yuko said. "You… really should make peace with them. I'll try and help, too…"

"They're the ones that are wrong." Rio said, still angry, if not hurt, from what happened.

"Uh… That's true, but…" Yuko said as Rio seemed to start drifting off into herself as she noticed Minako, the only member who didn't leave and approached her to whisper in her ear. "You're Minako-san, the transfer student, right? Minato-kun's sister?" A quick nod. "Can you keep an eye on Rio? She doesn't know how to interact with people sometimes… To be honest, I'm kind of worried about her… I try to lend a hand when I see things aren't going great, but I don't know much about your club…" She then leaned away from Minako and faced her with a smile. "Oh, by the way, I'm Nishiwaki Yuko. I'm the manager for the track team. Nice to meet you." She said as she left the field, leaving the two remaining girls there.

"Minako-san…" Rio said as she looked her way. "You're not gonna leave? Sorry, but I want to be left alone right now."

Minako shook her head. "Sorry, but that's not going to happen." She said, making the other laugh a little.

"You really are strange." She said as she looks like she's about to cry as she seemed hunched over.

Minako went up to place a hand on the other girl's shoulder and simply waited for her as she felt that she understood her club leader a little better, sensing the stirring in her chest once more as the bond became stronger. Once Rio seemed to gather herself up, they finished with the club and went their separate ways, with her going to the dorm, meeting up with Minato as she did.

xxxxx

"Oh, hey." Yukari said as the two entered the lounge.

"Hey…" They said in unison as they headed up the stairs. "Goodnight."

"They sound worn out." Junpei said. "Wonder what happened?"

"Who knows." Akihiko said. "But it's clear you guys aren't going to Tartarus tonight."

"Agreed." Mitsuru said as she was reading the book that Minako gave her.

"I can't help but get worried since nothing's happened since that one day…" Yukari said. "Is it me, or are more people getting Apathy Syndrome lately?"

"It's not you, I've seen them around a lot too." Junpei said. "I stopped going out because they're starting to freak me out."

"I just have this feeling something bad is going to happen, though… Or maybe I'm just being paranoid?"

"Yeah, because I don't feel that way." Junpei said as he got a glare from Yukari. "What? You're mostly the one who worries the most."

"We'll figure it out one way or another." Mitsuru said. "But we should all get some rest. They might be more willing to go tomorrow."

"I suppose…" Yukari said as she got up. "Well, goodnight." With that she went up the stairs, followed by the rest of the group.


	25. Episode 24: Friendly Talk

Ep. 24: Friendly Talk

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Ordinary / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/7-

The next morning, the twins were up and everyone else apparently as they were gathered around, a rare sight to behold. The dining table was garnished with the rare sight of plates of scrambled eggs, toast, and some other items such as salt and pepper.

"Good morning you two." Mitsuru said as she simply munched on a piece of toast.

"Morning." Minato said as he rubbed his eyes. "I'm awake right?"

"We're awake Brother." Minako said as she grabbed a piece of toast that was out for grabs. "This is rare, all of us being here this morning."

"Couldn't sleep." Junpei said with a groan. "Now I feel like I'm going to collapse." Akihiko placed a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Tough it up, the day is still young." Akihiko said as he looked at the two. "You want anything?"

"We're good." The twins said as Junpei mentioned them over.

"Hey, you guys know that Tartarus is separated into different areas, right?"

"Yeah." Minato said as he chewed on his toast.

"Okay, here's a perfect set up…" He said as he grinned. "'Now, who wants to reach the top, hmmm?'" He voiced as he looked energetic. "'Oh, me! Me! I wanna go to the top! I wanna go to the top!' Well? Whaddya think?" This made the twins laugh as Yukari sighed.

"You trying to do impersonations again?"

"It's about time we head out." Mitsuru announced. "Clean up and start heading to the station."

Junpei downed his coffee and quickly made for the kitchen to put his dirty dishes away, grabbed his bag and started to run out the door.

"He's suddenly energetic." Yukari said as she gathered her own dishes and placed them in the sink. "Who's turn is it for cleaning duty?"

"I think it's my turn." Minako said as she helped gather the other dishes into the sink, and with that the rest of the group started to head out to the station to catch the monorail.

xxxxx

Akihiko sighed as Minako was standing next to him.

"Something wrong, Senpai?"

"Oh, nothing. I just get the urge to go to a club when I'm at school." He looked down at her with a teasing grin. "Should I just start going to a club when I feel like it?"

"In your condition, I don't think so!" Minako said, a bit worried.

The other laughed as he placed a hand on her head. "I was just kidding. Don't look so worried." He then sighed as he brought his hand back down. "Even if I wanted to, Mitsuru would never let me."

"She's just worried about you." Minako said. "I know if Toto-nii was injured, I wouldn't sleep well if he wanted to do something that would make it worse and healing would take even longer because of it."

Akihiko smiled. "You're a good sister. Minato is a lucky guy to have you around."

Minako blushed. "Well, he doesn't really have a choice in the matter, since we are siblings and all." This caused the other to laugh again.

"That's true." He said as the monorail stopped and they chatted a bit on the way to school, not taking heed to the many glaring female eyes towards Minako before Minato came in to remind her that their classroom was on a different floor and they parted ways.

xxxxx

Soon lunch came and Minato volunteered to get some drinks from the student store for their lunch and headed out of the classroom to meet up with Kenji. "Hey man."

"Hey, what's up, Minato?"

"Nothing much."

"Cool. You doing anything after school?"

"Not really."

"Well, you know where to find me if you want to hang out."

"Will do man, later." Minato said as he went to get the drinks.

xxx

Back in the classroom, Minako, Yukari, and Junpei were talking when Yukari excused herself as she got a call from one of her team members and friend, leaving the two alone.

"Oh, are you free today?" Junpei asked as he took a bite of his food.

"I don't have anything in mind at the moment."

"Wanna go somewhere after school?"

"Sure, if nothing comes up."

"Okay, just tell me if you do."

"I will." She said as Yukari came back and they picked up their discussion.

xxx

Back with Minato, he got the drinks when he saw Chihiro by the bulletin board, tacking something up. "Hey Chihiro-san."

"Oh, h-hi." She said, seeming a bit more comfortable than the other say. "How are you?"

"I'm good." He said as he smiled. "Sounds like you're getting better at talking."

"Y-You think so?" She asked as he nodded. "T-That's good. I'm not really great at talking to boys."

"But most of the Student Council are guys."

"I know, so I-I should work on that…"

Minato nodded. "Give yourself time. Soon it'll be natural."

"Y-Yeah…"

"Not to sound forward, but we should walk home together sometime."

"Huh!?"

"It'll be a way for you to get comfortable being able to talk to guys when you hang out with one."

"I-I-I suppose…"

"Just think about it, okay? I already made plans after school today, but I'll be seeing you around. Later."

"Y-Yeah… Later…" She said as her face was red from embarrassment.

'Maybe I was being too forward, at least I'm going to hang out with Kenji.' He thought as he entered the classroom where he saw his sister and their friends around.

"Man! What took ya!?" Junpei said. "We're starting to dry up here!"

"You look fine to me." Minato said as he served the drinks to everyone. "So, what did I miss?"

xxxxx

When after school came, Kenji told Minato that he won't be able to hang out after all and left the class. Minato knew that his sister and Junpei were going to hang out and Yukari was at her club. He headed out of the classroom to see Chihiro, waiting out at the hall. "Hey Chihiro-san, you look like you're waiting for someone."

"Oh! Uh… I was…" She said as she sighed. "I saw Kenji run off and looks like you're not going to hang out together, and I've been thinking about when you asked me about walking together… Um, if it's okay with you, would you, um, like to…"

Minato nodded. "Let's walk home together." He said calmly.

"O-O-O-Okay!" Chihiro said, nervously but seems a bit confident. "Um, then, I'll go get ready…" They headed over to the lockers at the school's main lobby as they changed their shoes. "Is it, um, really okay…?" She asked. "I mean, um, I'm glad you're willing to… b-but…"

"Just relax." He simply said as he smiled a bit as she sighed.

"Y-Yeah… I-I'm not very good at talking t-to boys…"

"You're getting there." He said as she blushed when she realized that school is almost out and they headed out of the school together, in silence.

xxxxx

They reached to the dorm without uttering a single word at each other, which Chihiro seemed to notice that they were already in front of the location. "Oh! I-I'm sorry! I was just thinking about… what to say…" She sighed once more. "I was trying to come up with a topic you might be interested in, but I couldn't think of anything…" She then looked up at the building. "This is… Iwatodai Dorm, right? You live here, Minato-san? My house is in the other direction…"

"Really?" Minato said as he felt a bit bad. "I'm sorry, I should've asked where you live. That's rude of me…"

"D-Don't apologize! Please!" Chihiro said as she seemed guilty. "It's my fault… I-I knew we were going the wrong direction, but I didn't say anything…" She then looked at him. "Th-Thank you very much for…" She blushed a little. "Um, making time for me, Minato-san."

He felt a bit happy to hear that when he felt something stir in his chest and knew he just made a bond with her. "It's no problem."

"W-Well, um… Excuse me." She said as she bowed, said goodnight and headed the different direction home.

"See you!" He said as he went up to the door and entered into the dorm. 'That was an accomplishment.' He thought as he saw that Mitsuru was in the lounge, reading again and asked if his sister and Junpei arrived back yet, which was a negative. "I'm not too worried then. I trust Junpei to keep my sister safe." He noted as he went up the stairs to change into his work clothes and headed to Chagall Café.

xxx

With Minako, after school she found she didn't have anything major to do as she went up to Junpei and said that she's free to hang out and they both headed out together to Paulownia Mall, and into the Chagall Café.

"Whoa, so this is what it's like inside this café." Junpei said as they were in line to order.

"You don't come here now and then?" Minako asked as she ordered something while Junpei was distracted for a moment before he looked at her.

"Oh, guys can't really come to places like this with each other…" He said as he quickly ordered something and paid for it and they headed to one of the tables in the café.

"Where do guy friends go then?" Minako asked, curiously as Junpei seemed a bit embarrassed.

"Uhh… Karaoke, Wild-Duck Burger, the manga café…" He listed as he paused before chuckling nervously. "That sounds a lot lamer now that I actually said it out loud!" He said as the waiter came to place their mugs in front of them as they both laughed at what he said. He took a sip of his coffee and seemed impressed. "This is some damn good coffee. You can tell that the guy who owns this place is really picky about the beans. He probably roasts them all differently using special waters for each type…"

"Wow…" She said, never hearing the other say something like that. "You know a lot about coffee."

Junpei chuckled as he shook his head. "I just really like coffee. That's all." He said, but he seems proud of it as he looked at her mug. "Oh yeah, what did you order, Minako?"

"Hot chocolate." She said simply as he smiled.

"Oh, hot chocolate? That's a girly drink."

"I am a girl!" She said as they both laughed as they chatted for some time when Minato came in and noticed them and talked briefly before he was set out to work.

"By the way," Junpei said as Minato went behind the counter "are there any guys you're interested in?"

"Huh?"

"If you want, I'll totally help you out. It'd be fun being your Cupid." He laughed in a carefree manner.

Minako blushed as she giggled nervously. "There really isn't one that stands out…" She said softly.

"What about Akihiko-senpai?" He said, making her look surprised. "You know girls are crazy about him."

"I know, you and Toto-nii were there that one day before we met Officer Kurosawa."

"Oh yeah, well, you'd better be careful that he doesn't play you!" He said only to reconsider his thought. "Wait… Akihiko-san's not the type of guy, so you don't need to worry." He sighed. "It's like the opposite… He'd be way too serious if you were in a relationship." He paused for a moment as he looked at Minako who was finishing her hot cocoa. "Actually, why don't you try and get him? Seriously?"

"Huh!?" She said as she was turning pink. "Has that coffee gone to your brain? You've seen those girls, they'll murder me!"

He waved a finger at her. "Minako… I've seen you fight, you can up one on any of those girls." Junpei said as he smiled. "But think about it… A transfer student swoops in and steals the heart of the boy every girl wants…" He chuckled. "Don't you think that would be totally cool?" He laughed. "It'd be something right out of a manga."

"This isn't a manga though, and I can't fight like that out in public, I'd get in trouble…" She said as her thoughts went in a different direction with memories of talking with the senior boy and knew that she has just a little crush on him. "Well…" This gained Junpei's attention. "I guess…" She blushed horribly and the other grinned.

"Well," He said, gaining the girl's attention "if you're serious, feel free to talk to me about it." He said with a laugh before he changed the topic, so she wouldn't feel too uncomfortable with the idea of pursuing the senior's affection, have to keep the mood neutral between them he figured.

With Minako, she felt a little free, like when she and her brother left their aunt to come to the dorm, and she understood Junpei a little more. She felt a stirring in her chest and knew her bond with Junpei became stronger and continued to talk about different things before Minato came up to remind them how late it was getting.

"Oh crud, is it already this late?" Junpei said as he looked at his watch.

"Yep." Minato said. "You guys go on ahead. I still have to do a few things. See you at the dorm." He said as he left the two be.

"See ya man!" Junpei said as he looked at Minako. "Man, I really enjoy being around you, for some reason." He got up from the chair. "Well, let's head back."

xxxxx

They headed back to the dorm together, seeing the victims of the Apathy Syndrome littering more in the streets before reaching the dorm.

"Man… that's a bit freaky." He said as they entered the dorm, being welcomed by Mitsuru. "Hey, do you think your bro will be up for Tartarus tonight? Seems kinda dull around here."

"I don't think so." Minako said.

"Maybe I should come along on one of them…" Akihiko said. "I'm dying of boredom…"

Mitsuru looked up from her book to give the other an icy glare. "Akihiko, are you trying to make me angry?"

"Whoa! You better be careful Senpai." Junpei teased.

"Can it Iori." Akihiko said as he sighed and looked at Minako. "How was your day?"

"It was good." She said as she blushed, still remembering the talk about pursuing the senior boy. "And what about you?"

"Bored as hell."

"At least you get most of the studying out of the way." She said. "Extra time to train once you're fully healed up."

Akihiko chuckled at this as he nodded. "That's a good way of seeing it."

"Please don't encourage him." Mitsuru said. "Otherwise he won't learn."

"Would you get off my back about it?" He said as Minato came in.

"I'm home." Minato said as his sister greeted him. "I'm beat. I'm going to bed."

"Night Brother. I'll be up in a bit."

"Take your time." He said as he went up the stairs.

"I'm going to clean those dishes, since it's my turn." She said as she looked at Junpei. "Thank you Junpei, I had fun today."

"No problem. Just remember to come talk to me if you got any questions."

"I will. Good night." She said as she went into the kitchen, where running water was heard followed by dishes lightly clanking.

"What was that about?" Yukari asked.

"Oh, we just talked about things and for her to come to me if she has any questions." Junpei said.

"I'm worried about her now if she's going to get any answers from you."

"Why so cold, Yuka-tan? Can't a guy like me get a girl that's just a friend?" He sighed. "Now I know why I like to hang out with her."

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"If you two are going to fight, do it outside." Mitsuru said. "I'm not going to deal with the noise you two make."

"Sorry Senpai." The two said as they headed up the stairs.

Mitsuru sighed as she flipped a page. "Honestly… They should've grown out of that by now."

Akihiko couldn't help but chuckle. "Disagreements will come up in all kinds of forms, Mitsuru."

"I know, but there's a time to argue sensibly, and a time to shout your head off like a child with a tantrum."

Akihiko looked at her with a raised brow. "A sensible argument? Is there really such a thing?"

Mitsuru dully glared at him. "Don't get smart with me, Akihiko."

Akihiko simply grinned as he looked down at his text book.


	26. Episode25: HealthCommitteeandKenji'sPlan

Ep. 25: Health Committee and Kenji's Plan

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/8-

The next day, it started off normal for everyone until lunchtime set in when Ms. Toriumi went up to Minako.

"I'd like a word with you." She said as Minako nodded, paying attention to her. "You haven't joined any committees yet, have you? I know this is sudden, but there's some positions that just became vacant that I'd like you to take on. I mean, students are obligated to join a school committee."

"Which committees are open?" Minako asked as Ms. Toriumi smiled.

"I'll let you choose which one you'd like to join. There's school health or the library committee?"

"I'll go with school health committee." She said as the teacher nodded in approval.

"All right, thank you. Well, go on over to the Nurse's Office after school today."

"Okay." She said as the teacher walked away and Minato woke up.

"What happened?"

"I joined the student health committee."

"Oh, cool." He said. "Well, I'm going to hang with Kenji today…"

"Okay, you two have fun then."

"Usually do."

"How's that Chihiro girl? She didn't seem as nervous as the last few times."

"She's getting the hang of talking to guys, well, to me at least."

Minako nodded. "You're a good guy, Bro." She said as lunch ended.

xxxxx

When after school rolled around, the twins parted to go to their located meets.

Minato found Kenji and they headed to the usual ramen restaurant as Kenji sighed.

"Tch! Dude, I'm so sick of this…" Kenji said suddenly.

Minato lifted his brow as he tried to figure out what the other could be sick of. 'Ramen? No… he's in love with it. School? Most likely…' He then asked. "What, life?" A very generic question in his honest opinion.

"Life? Dude, you watch too much reality TV." He said as he sighed. "But, yeah, I guess you could say I'm sick of life."

"You're not going to tell me you want a way out of it."

"No way man! I'm not suicidal!"

"Just making sure."

"Man…" Kenji said as he shook his head. "I mean, I wake up, go to school, listen to lame-ass lectures, come home, eat, watch TV, go to sleep…" He looked deep in thought as he nodded. "Well, Minato, that settles it. I'm gonna get myself a girlfriend!"

"Go for it."

"Thanks, dude! Soon I'll have a girlfriend, just like you!"

"I don't have one! I thought we covered that already!" He said, only to see that Kenji was too excited to hear him.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna go ahead with my secret plan, dude." He said with a grin. "I told you, right? I'm going after a teacher."

"I remember."

"I'm gonna ask her out and make her fall in love with me." Kenji said as he smiled at the thought. "Her name is Kanou-san. You don't know her, do you?"

"Nope."

"She teaches twelfth grade ethics. I'm totally acing her class." He smiled. "She's not the most beautiful woman, but she's really cute. She has pretty eyes, a nice little body, and…" He continued on talking about the teacher's finer points before he looked at Minato. "Hey, man, don't tell anyone about this, okay? You're the only one who knows."

Minato could feel a stir in his chest as he made a motion of holding a key, putting it to his lips, turned, and waved his hand back, as if throwing said key, this made Kenji laugh.

"Man! You're a riot!" He said as he seemed excited. "Dude, I'm getting so psyched! Let's devise a plan of attack!" He looked up and asked for the bill, paid, and they headed out of the ramen restaurant and he talked about his plan to Minato all the way to the dorm before they parted ways.

xxx

With Minako, she entered the Nurse's Office to meet Mr. Edogawa, the school's health advisor but more like a wannabe alchemist.

"Now, is everyone here?" He asked as he pointed her out. "We have a new member joining our little team here at the infirmary. This is Arisato Minako from class 2-F." He then looked around. "Who's on duty today?"

"Oh, that would be me." Said a mature female student that looked to be a senior.

'She's pretty.' Minako thought as Mr. Edogawa patted her shoulder.

"Please show her the ropes of what you do here." He said. "If you need me, I'll be in the back."

"Understood." The mature student said as he walked away. "Well then… could you come over here so I can explain?" She said as a female senior went up to her.

"U-Um, Saori-san? Excuse me, but we, um…" The senior started to say.

"Oh… I'm sorry, I didn't notice." The mature student said. "Please feel free to go home. I'll take care of the rest for today." She smiled kindly at the senior.

"We're really sorry. See you later…" The senior said as she and a few others left the infirmary.

"Oh, please don't think that the others aren't welcoming you to the club." She said. "They're all just very busy. Um… Let's see, where should I start explaining things to you…? Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself yet." She smiled. "I'm Hasegawa Saori."

"I'm pleased to meet you." Minako said as she bowed.

Saori giggled. "There's no need to be so formal. I'm a junior, just like you. You don't have to be so polite to me."

This confused the other girl but she nodded as she said "All right…"

"Thank you. I'm glad to hear that." Saori said, but she could tell that she really lost the girl. "I'm actually two years older than you. I studied abroad, and took some time off from school. I'm the oldest student in the school right now. That's why the upperclassmen all speak politely to me." She sighed. "I really wish they'd stop… but I've pretty much given up about it." She then smiled again. "Still, considering that we've just met, it'd be nice if you didn't feel you had to be like that around me." She looked at Minako curiously. "Could you just try?"

Minako nodded happily. "Course I can!"

This made Saori smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Minako felt a stir in her chest and knew she made a new bond to her fellow junior.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'm supposed to explain our duties here." Saori said as she explained the days they meet up and exceptions. "We have a number of tasks here on the school health committee, but our main job is to be on duty after school. Of course, we can't tend to people who are actually injured, so we need to go get Edogawa-san in those cases. He will always be in the small room off to the side, but we're not allowed to go in there." She giggled nervously. "There are even some rumors that students have gone in there… and never came back…"

Minako pouted. "Don't try to scare me." She said as she giggled as she learned what she has to do before going back to the dorm.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Mitsuru and Akihiko were in the lounge as Mitsuru was looking over at the paper.

"It's odd, really, how quiet it's been." She said as Akihiko looked up.

"You're referring to the Shadows, I take it?"

"It's been a month since the attack, yet I'm certain that won't be the last time they appear outside of Tartarus."

"True… Lately, it seems like The Lost are everywhere. So, something must be going on…" He said as the twins entered the dorm.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru greeted. "How are you two?"

"Doing good." Minato said as he stretched. "Which subject should I study for?"

"You're sucking in science." Minako said bluntly.

"Thanks Sissy." He said with a dull glare as she giggled.

"I'm no better, Bro. So we'll help each other in that field."

Mitsuru couldn't help but grin as she seemed to realize something. "Pardon me you two." She said as she got the twins attention. "I just realized that it's been a month since both of you moved into the dormitory. How do you like living here?"

The twins looked at her with smiles on their faces. "Like we're truly home." Both said as they excused themselves as they headed up to their shared room.

Akihiko smiled as he looked to see a look of content on Mitsuru's face. "Were you worried about them again?"

"Naturally." She said as she turned the page of the book. "It hasn't been long since they moved and already they have so much on their hands. It's quite impressive."

Akihiko nodded in agreement. "They're something else alright."


	27. Episode 26: Full Moon Station pt1

Ep. 26: Full Moon Station pt. 1

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/9-

The next morning, the twins were heading to the school gates when Akihiko caught up with them.

"Hey you two. How's it going?" He asked.

"So far so good. I don't feel like a zombie." Minato said as he yawned. "But I'm still tired…"

"It's because you stayed up trying to figure out that one problem in math." Minako said as she looked at the senior. "How are you feeling today?"

"As good as I'll be with this damn injury." He said as he seemed curious. "You guys keeping up in your training?"

"Yep!" Both said as the senior nodded.

"Great. It never hurts to train while you have the chance." He said as he seemed proud.

"Until you get hurt while training." Minato pointed out as he was elbowed by his sister.

Akihiko grinned. "True. However, my wounds will heal in no time, and I'll be able to join you guys on the front line. But don't just rely on me."

"That will be great." Minato said. "And we'll be sure you keep up while we're at it. Since so far we done well without relying on you.

"Hey you!" Akihiko said as he playfully punched the junior boy's arm. "Give me a little credit!"

Minako simply giggled. "You better teach Brother a thing or two once your better. He's getting a bit too confident."

"Whose side are you on!?" Minato said as she ran up ahead, giggling. "Hey!" He looked at Akihiko, quickly excused himself and ran after her. "Sissy!"

Akihiko laughed at the twos' antics as he continued his way to the school, being followed by the usual crowd of girls.

xxxxx

The day went on as normal for the twins as Minako seemed to notice the day and at lunch mentioned it to her brother.

"What's up Sissy?" Minato asked as he waited for Junpei to come back with the drinks and Yukari was at the other end of the room talking on her cellphone.

"Remember what that boy said about another trial or something?"

"Yeah…"

"He also said that there'll be another full moon within the week, which is today."

Minato saw where this was going, but a bit lost of its importance. "You think something might happen?"

"Don't you?" She asked as she looked around before leaning forward. "You saw all those apathy victims around, right? Don't you think something might be going on?"

"Yeah… And we did a number back at Tartarus and still the numbers keep rising." Minato said as he was a bit puzzled by this. "So you think something big will happen tonight?"

"I think so." She said. "We'll have to just stay up and find out."

"Not like that's anything new with us." He said as Junpei came back and Yukari was heading back towards them.

xxxxx

When school ended, they decided to just head back to the dorm and studied a bit before deciding that each take a bit of a nap as the time continued to tick on.

In the command room, Mitsuru was working on the device in the room as the time hit midnight, triggering the Dark Hour. It wasn't long after that Akihiko came up and was surprised to see her still working.

"You're still at it?" He asked as he headed towards her.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah. You never know when the enemy might appear." She said.

He seemed a bit lost. "But, I thought you couldn't scan outside of Tartarus?"

She sighed. "To be honest, I lack the power… Maybe this is the best Penthesilea can do in terms of data gathering. Although, the power of Persona seems to be much broader than I thought." She said as she looked at one image at the twins' room, where Minato was taking a book away from a sleeping Minako and placing it on the desk. "We've even got two who can switch Personas in the middle of battle." She watched as Minato placed an extra blanket over his sister as he settled onto his own bed to read Oliver Twist. "There's something special about those two. It hasn't been that long since their awakening, either."

Akihiko nodded in agreement. "I have to admit, I was surprised too. But in the end, it's up to them whether or not they can reach their full potential."

Then suddenly the machine started to make sounds, gaining the seniors' attention as Mitsuru took a look and looked at Akihiko. "It's a Shadow!"

"What!? You actually found one!?"

"Wait, something's not right." Mitsuru said as she looked at the screen. "The reading is too big. We've never encountered anything like- -"

Akihiko looked at Mitsuru. "You mean, it's one of those!?"

She nodded. "It must be."

Akihiko grinned as he seemed ready to fight. "Well then, this is gonna be fun. I'll wake up the others."

"Indeed." She said as she saw him press the alarm button, making the whole place ring out in the siren.

The twins were shocked from their near sleep as they quickly got their shoes on, grabbed their weapons, and headed up the stairs with Yukari following behind, as she had to dress quickly after waking up, and headed to the command room where Junpei stumbled just behind Yukari.

"We're here!" Yukari called out, seeming to be coming out from sleep daze.

"Where is it!?" Junpei said, looking ready to fight, but annoyed for being rudely awaken in such a manner. "I'll rip it a new one!"

"We've detected a Shadow outside of Tartarus." Mitsuru started to explain. "We don't know for sure, but we think it's another big one. We have to defeat any of them we find, as quickly as possible. Most people don't know the Dark Hour exists. But, if half the city is destroyed, there will be panic. That must be avoided at all costs."

"Definitely don't want that." Minato said. "That will be months of media coverage that will probably mess us up if we want to look into anything."

"In other words, we need to kick some ass, right? Well, count me in!" Junpei said as he seemed awake and excited.

Yukari sighed as she seemed annoyed. "Junpei…"

"We'll it's not far from the truth." Minako said.

Mitsuru looked at Akihiko. "Akihiko, you stay here and wait for the Chairman."

"Wha-!?" Akihiko looked shocked to hear this. "Are you kidding!? I'm going!"

"You still need to recover. You'll just be a hindrance." Mitsuru said calmly.

"What!?"

She pointed to the junior group. "They'll fare better than you, in your current state. Have faith in them, Akihiko… They're ready."

Akihiko looked at the group, all determined and ready to go and sighed. "Damnit…"

"Relax! I've got it covered!" Junpei said.

"I guess I've got no choice…" Akihiko said as he looked at Minato. "Minato, you're in charge."

"Him again…?" Junpei said as he made it obvious that he wasn't thrilled to hear that.

"We're counting on you." Mitsuru said as Minato nodded.

"I'll do my best." Minato said as Minako patted his back.

"And you can leave it to us to make sure he doesn't get knocked around too much."

"Hey!"

Akihiko chuckled as he nodded. "I know you can do this, all of you."

Junpei chuckled as he looked at the two. "Looks like you're stuck playing leader again." He said with a sigh. "Guess it's pretty much decided that you're our leader, huh? Sucks to be you."

"Jealous much?" Minato asked. "I didn't ask to do this. Sissy here also takes the role whenever the situation calls for it." This made his sister blush as Mitsuru stepped in.

"Whether one is a man or a woman doesn't factor into it. The responsibility falls to those who have the gift." She then glared at Junpei. "And let me add, if you ever say or do anything to condescend Minako, due to her part of showing leadership, because she's a woman…"

"Oh, no, no, no, no! It's not like I look down on her or anything…" Junpei said, being nervous of the senior woman's glare.

"You four should hurry and go on ahead." Akihiko said, knowing that the atmosphere around Mitsuru was close to danger level. "Mitsuru, you need to get ready, right?" That was a success as Mitsuru nodded.

"Indeed." She said as she looked at the four. "Let's rendezvous in front of the station."

"Got it!" Yukari said as she looked at the others. "Let's go."

"No need to say it twice." Minato said as they headed out of the dorm and to the station.

xxxxx

They were waiting by the steps leading to the New City passenger train 'Anehazuru', at the Iwatodai Station, waiting for Mitsuru who has yet arrived.

"Where is she?" Yukari asked as she looked down at the deserted street.

"She'll be here soon." Junpei said, a bit bored as he looked at the twins. "Hey, sorry if I made you guys feel awful or anything."

"It's cool man." Minato said as Minako nodded.

"It's not like you intentionally mean it." She said as she looked at the blood puddle on the ground. "Is that really blood or something else?"

"Don't know, and don't really want to." Minato said as he sighed. "At least it's not freezing out here."

Yukari looked up and noted that the moon was full. "But, it looks even creepier during the Dark Hour…"

They looked up as well and silently agreed that the greenish glow from the Dark Hour on the moon did make it creepier when they heard an engine roar and getting closer to where they were. They looked to see a single headlight heading towards them as they could see the rider of a motorcycle.

"Huh? What the!?" Junpei said as the motorcycle slowed as it pulled up close enough to them, before it was turned off. The rider took off the helmet to show it was Mitsuru.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She said.

"A motorcycle?" Yukari said, a bit lost for words.

"Awesome…" The twins said in unison.

"Listen carefully." Mitsuru started out, gaining everyone's attention. "Tonight, I'll be providing support from here. Everything else is the same. The Shadow is currently located inside a monorail, not far from the station. To get there, you'll have to walk on the tracks."

"Are you serious!?" Junpei said. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't worry, no electronic equipment is operable during the Dark Hour, including the monorails." Mitsuru assured.

"But, your bike…" Junpei pointed out the white motorcycle as Mitsuru smiled, seemingly proud.

"It's special."

"I'll say." Minato said.

"Now, if circumstances change, I'll notify you immediately." Mitsuru said. "Let's get started."

"Okay!" Yukari said.

"L-Let's do this!" Jupei said.

"We'll be going now then!" Minako said.

"I'll be expecting a sterling outcome."

"You can count on us for that." Minato said as they found the tracks and started to run along it, seeing the view of Tartarus and the ocean looking like a sea of blood. 'Why does that look so appropriate?' He thought as they made their way to the monorail.

"This is it… right?" Yukari said as they looked at the monorail train as her cell went off.

"_Can you all hear me?"_ Mitsuru asked.

"Yes, I can hear you clearly." Yukari said as she looked at the train. "We just got here, but I don't see anything out of the ordinary…"

"_The readings are definitely coming from that monorail. Proceed with caution, and stay together."_

"Got it." Yukari said as Junpei looks excited.

"My Persona's just beggin' to be used!"

"Easy there, did you nearly forget what happened last time when we tried to push it?" Minato said as Junpei sighed.

"Yeah, I know…"

"Well then, let's head on in!" Yukari said as she jumped onto the foothold leading to the train door and began climbing, only to realize something and looked at the guys in the group. "Don't look up." She added a glare to that as the guys looked away.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Junpei said as he grinned. "But, don't blame me if I happen to catch a glimpse."

"Dude… my sister is here as well." Minato said as Junpei looked at Minako, who was wearing a new school skirt.

"Say, Minako…" Yukari said sweetly. "Since I know at least your brother wouldn't try to look, what do you say we bury Junpei here and leave him behind?"

"Huh?"

"Junpei isn't really a bad guy." Minako defended. "He'll say things that seem perverted, but it's only teasing."

"And that's why Ko-tan is my best friend, ladies and gents! Followed by Minato."

"Glad to hear where I lie in your list. But if you do look, I will do as Yukari says and bury you here and leave you behind."

"Hear you loud and clear." He said as Minako climbed up to the door and told the guys it was safe to come up as well.

When they were all inside, they saw one coffin-like object sitting in the car of the monorail they were on.

"This poor stiff must be a passenger…" Junpei said as all the doors suddenly closed.

"_What's wrong?"_ Mitsuru called in. _"What happened!?"_

"It looks like we're trapped inside…" Yukari reported.

"_It must be the Shadow. It knows you're there. Be ready for anything! Proceed with extreme caution!"_

"R-Roger!" Yukari said.

"Got it!" The others said as they headed down the train carts, which seemed to be empty of any Shadow activity.

"What the heck?" Junpei said, a bit confused and annoyed by the lack of activity. "I don't see any Shadows."

"They must be around here somewhere." Minato said. "Keep your eyes open."

"It's so quiet it's creepy…" Yukari said as not too long after she said it, a Shadow appeared.

"There it is!" Junpei called out as the head crown looking Shadow with what looks like a bible floating in the open space above where it's head is supposedly located simply looked at them as it turned and went into the next cart. "Hey, get back here!"

"Junpei! Wait!" Minako called out as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"_Something's not right…"_ Mitsuru said. _"The enemy is acting strangely."_

"As if Shadows work normally?" Minato said.

"But, if we don't go after it, we're gonna lose it!" Junpei said.

"_Minato, you're in command there."_ Mitsuru said. _"What do you think?"_

Minato was silent for a moment before nodding. "We have to be cautious and careful about this. I want to get rid of these Shadows as quickly as possible. But if Senpai is having suspicious readings, we can't afford to be risky." Minako nodded in agreement with her brother.

"_I agree."_ Mitsuru said. _"It would be foolish to blindly chase after it."_

Junpei shook Minako's hand off his shoulder and glared at Minato. "Who needs your advice!? We can beat that thing no problem!" He snapped.

"It's probably not the one that Senpai sensed though!" Minato said. "Don't be stupid!"

Junpei clearly was insulted by that."Hell!, I'll do it myself!" He shouted as he seemed to nod to himself. "Fine, I'll go myself. You guys just stay back and watch me beat it all by myself!" With that he ran to the next cart.

"Junpei!" Minako called out.

"Junpei! Wait!" Yukari shouted.

"_Watch out!"_ Mitsuru called out. _"Behind you!"_

The trio looked behind them to see two of the same Shadows they saw earlier.

"Perfect timing…" Minato said with an annoyed tone.

"You shouldn't call Junpei stupid, Brother."

"He shouldn't be one to begin with!" Minato said as he sighed. "You go after him, Yukari and I will take care of this."

"Got it!" Minako said as she ran on ahead to catch up with Junpei.

"Asshole..." Minato said, still ticked off about Junpei but channeled that anger to defeating the Shadows with Yukari, whose arrows were doing a lot of damage even with assistance from Orpheus's Agi, ending the fight quickly.

Yukari sighed. "This is just what the enemy wanted." She said.

"_We have no choice."_ Mitsuru said. _"You have to go after him, or you'll be picked off one by one."_

"Dammit, Stupei! What are you thinking!?" Yukari said as she was angry at the other junior boy.

"_From what I can tell, he's only a few cars ahead. Followed by Minako only a car behind him. She managed to take down two Shadows all on her own in an amazingly short time."_

"That's my sister, she's plenty strong on her own." Minato said as he looked worried. "But she can only do so much before she loses stamina."

"Why did you send her on her own then?"

"Because if I'd gone, I would've beat the living daylights out of Junpei, but Sissy cares about him and I believe he'll listen to her better than me at this point."

"I see…" Yukari said as she nodded. "Okay, we'll catch up to—" She was about to say when a three Shadows appeared, blocking their way to the next car. "Gah! Get out of our way!" She called out as they were locked into battle once again with the two headdress-looking shadows and one that looks like a cross and an old time weighing device.

"Outta the way!" Minato called out as the two battled the Shadows.


	28. Episode 27: Full Moon Station pt2

Ep. 27: Full Moon Station pt. 2

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/9-

After the two defeated the Shadow trio, they went into the next car and Yukari sighed. "Junpei's not in this car, either. He should know it's too dangerous to go alone…"

"He's being stupid. Stupid people do the dumbest things." Minato said with a sigh.

"Well, he certainly acting weird. Did you say something before all this to upset him?"

"Not that I know of." He said as he sighed. "I'm worried about Sissy… I shouldn't have told her to go on ahead."

"It looks like she's doing a good job though, we haven't seen any Shadows in this car." Yukari said as she pressed on. "Let's catch up to them, they might need us."

"Right!" He said as they ran up to the next car.

"And who knows? Maybe Minako would've gone to the bottom of why Stupei is acting this way. You did say she would be someone Junpei can talk to."

"I did? Now I'm concerned."

xxx

A few cars away, Minako took down another Shadow and she seemed to be wearing out. "Man… It's a good thing I also have the ability to have more than one Persona, or this would've been very difficult." She ran up ahead, still not seeing any sign of Junpei. "How long does this monorail go?" She asked herself when she finally found him. "Junpei!" She called out as she saw him being surrounded by Shadows. It wasn't long until she was joined by her brother and Yukari.

"There they are!" Yukari called when she saw Junpei. "Shoot! He's surrounded!? We've gotta help him!"

"Looks like he's doing a fine job to me." Minato said as his foot was stomped on by his sister. "Ow!"

"Junpei!" Both girls called out.

"I've got it under control!" Junpei called back, but it was obvious that he was struggling a little. "Take this, you freak of nature!" He didn't see the Shadow about to attack him from behind when Minako knocked it away with her naginata. "Ko-tan!?"

"Thank me later!" She said as Yukari and Minato joined in.

"Asparas!" Minato called out as he used the Envoker to summon a woman-like Persona. "Bufu!" The ice attack hit the headdress Shadow, but hardly did anything. "Junpei! Use Agi on that Shadow!"

"Hermes!" Junpei called out as he summoned his Persona and did the attack, ridding of one of the three Shadows that they were fighting.

"Keep it up!" Minako called out. "Attack that hand guy!"

"Got it! Agi!" Junpei called out as he got rid of the Shadow. "Alright!"

"Yukari! Use Garu on that last one!" Minato called.

"Got it!" Yukari called out as she summoned Io and used the wind attack, ridding the last of the Shadows. When that was over, she marched up to Junpei. "See! That's what happens when you don't listen!" Junpei seemed a bit stubborn as she sighed. "So, are you alright?"

"O-Of course I am…" Junpei said as he was being stubborn. "I was doin' just fine…"

"Excuse me!?" Yukari said as she was getting on her last nerve. "Minako took out that Shadow that was going to attack you from behind! You call that 'doing fine'!?"

"Stop it you two!" Minako called out. "We're all okay in the end."

"Not to mention that we haven't even reached our goal here." Minato said. "And we need all the strength we need to face whatever is here."

"_Be careful, all of you!"_ Mitsuru called out suddenly.

"What's up Senpai?" Minako asked.

"_I don't detect any movement, but stay alert!"_

"Will do." Minato said as he sighed. "As for you, Junpei-!" He was going to say more when the monorail started to move on its own.

"Whoa, what the!?" Junpei said, nearly knocked over to his side from the sudden jerk of the moving vehicle.

"_It seems the monorail is under the enemy's control…"_ Mitsuru said.

"Whaddya mean, 'it seems'!?" Yukari said.

"Exactly as it sounds like." Minato said dully as Minako sighed.

"Be a little more serious about this."

"I'm very serious."

"Uh… This doesn't look good." Junpei said as they were seeing the scenery moving.

"_If we don't stop that thing,"_ Mitsuru said, a slight panic in her tone _"it'll crash into another train!"_

"WHAT!?" Both girls cried out, making the guys become very alert in the serious situation they were placed in.

"Oh, God! What are we gonna do!?" Yukari said, panic was rising in her eyes and tone.

"_Calm down and listen."_ Mitsuru said, taking the authority at the moment. _"I sense a strong presence in the front car. That must be the one we're after. You'll have to defeat it to stop the train!"_

As soon as she ended that, three Shadows appeared before them, blocking their way to press forward.

"What kind of messed-up ride is this!?" Junpei said as they went into their positions.

"How much time do you say we have, Senpai!?" Minato called.

"_Less than eight minutes!" _

"Shit! Scan that table Shadow! Guys! Take those hand guys down!"

"Right!" The others called out as Junpei and Minako used their Persona's Agi attacks to take out the two hand Shadows when Mitsuru revealed the table-looking Shadow was weak against fire and Minato used Orpheus's Agi to take it out immediately.

"_You don't have much time! Run!"_ Mitsuru cried out as the four started to run to the front of the monorail.

"H-Hey!" Yukari said. "We're gaining speed!"

"Fuck!" Junpei called out as they continued to run, quickly taking out Shadows that were in their way, only one got Minato in a surprise attack.

"Are we even getting closer!?" Minako asked, also feeling the gaining speed of the monorail.

"We should be getting close!" Minato said as he reached to the door when Mitsuru contacted them.

"_Your primary target is up ahead… Are you ready?"_

"We have less than five minutes, right? We don't have much of a choice!" He said as he opened the door and all four of them went in and saw the huge, woman-looking shadow that was black on the right side and white on the left, large, ribbon like hair flayed out, wearing something like a skirt as its legs were spread out, no top covering, and wearing a red wine mask.

"There it is…!" Junpei said as he looked surprised. "What the hell!? Is this the friggin' boss?"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Minato said.

"We're in the front car; it's gotta be!" Yukari said, ready to attack.

"_I've never seen anything like this…"_ Mitsuru said as Minato told her to try to scan the Shadow as the four attacked the large Shadow.

Minato and Minako used their physical attacks while Junpei and Yukari used their Persona's attacks onto the Shadow, which did some damage as Mitsuru told them that the Shadow they're up against repels ice attacks and isn't affected light and dark attacks.

"Avoid using any kind of ice attacks!" Minato said as everyone agreed when the Shadow summoned two weak Shadows to be its defense. "Focus on the boss! Don't be too preoccupied by the others!"

"Got it!" Junpei said as they continued to attack, in which Minato used Aparas's Bufu to rid of the small Shadows so that they wouldn't cause them problems as they defeated the large Shadow.

"Everyone alright!?" Minato asked as Yukari used her Persona's healing ability to help herself and the rest of the group. "Good."

"Did we make it in time?" Junpei asked as the monorail was still moving at a fast rate. "Hey! Why're we still moving!?"

"We're going too fast!" Yukari said. "We have to put on the brakes or else!"

"_What are you waiting for!?"_ Mitsuru called out, not hiding the fact that she was scared. _"There's a train up ahead!"_

"Dammit!" Junpei cursed. "I don't know how to stop this thing!"

"Someone hit the brakes!" Minako cried out as Minato rushed to the controls and grabbed hold of one of the devices as she and Yukari screamed along the screeching sound. Soon the monorail was slowing down to a stop.

"D-Did we stop?" Junpei asked as he looked up to see that they were indeed stopped, the sight of the other train just a few feet away where Minato let go of the brakes and used the doorway as a way to steady himself and took a deep breath.

"I-I think so…" Yukari said as she got up, using the seats to do so due to her shaking legs.

"_Is everybody alright!?"_ Mitsuru called.

"Uh, y-yeah, we're okay." Yukari said as she took a deep breath to calm herself down. "My knees are shaking…"

"Dude…" Junpei said as he pulled on the collar of his shirt. "I'm like drenched in sweat…" He looked over at Minako, who was using the bar to get up. "Hey, are you okay, Ko-tan?"

"I was so scared…" She said as she took a deep breath. "I never been this scared since the accident…" She started to tear up when Minato came to her side and helped her up to her feet.

Mitsuru sighed, heavily in relief. _"I'm so glad you're safe… I'm sorry I couldn't do more on my end."_

"You helped us a lot, Senpai." Minato said. "Don't think you didn't do enough."

Mitsuru made an uncertain noise before continuing. _"I don't detect any more Shadows. You guys did a great job, so come on home."_

"But, how did you know which one was the brake?" Yukari asked Minato as he and Junpei helped Minako to her feet.

"I trusted my instincts. All our lives were on the line, and I just went for it, praying that it was the right one." Minato said.

"You saved me again." Yukari said quietly. "Thanks." She said with a smile.

"Ah, whatever." Junpei said as he was supporting Minako as she was getting her act together. "Wanna grab a bit to eat? I'm freakin' hungry!" This earned a bit of a giggle from the other girl as Yukari sighed.

"Uhhh, hate to break it to you, Junpei, but girls usually don't get hungry in the middle of the night…" She said as she added. "I wouldn't mind stopping by a corner store, though."

"I think we should just head straight home." Minato said as he looked at his sister, who looked faraway at the moment. "Thankfully tomorrow isn't a school day. We should use that time to really rest up if we want any sleep after this."

The other two looked at Minako, who did look like she was in a different world in her mind.

"Hey, Ko-tan…" Junpei called out as he heard her make a sound that was a mix between a hiccup and a sob.

"Is she going to be okay?" Yukari asked quietly.

"She will by tomorrow. This… happened before, but it's usually a nightmare…" Minato said. "It's… about the accident ten years ago…" He and the others then made their way out of the monorail and took the long walk back to the station where Mitsuru was waiting for them, and by that time Minako was out of her mental funk, apologized to them and they headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, back at the dorm in the command room, Akihiko answered his cell and pressed the speaker button. "Akihiko here."

"_This is Mitsuru. We've successfully completed the operation. The monorail didn't sustain any noticeable damage."_

"Thank you, Mitsuru." Ikutsuki said. "When I heard they'd hijacked a monorail, I feared the worst. Well done." He smiled in relief. "Now, I don't have to worry about tomorrow's headlines."

"_The team did a great job."_ Mitsuru said, pride was evident in her tone. _"They're learning quickly."_

"But, what are the Shadows up to?" Akihiko asked. "Taking over a monorail… This is getting out of hand."

"I'll be looking into the matter." The Chairman said.

"_Does this mean… it's begun?"_ Mitsuru asked.

"Hmmm… Let's not jump to any conclusions." The Chairman answered. "For now, we should study their behavior for patterns or clues. We cannot afford to always wait for them to make the first move."

Mitsuru sighed. _"If I had more power, things wouldn't be so difficult for the others."_

xxx

At the station, she looked to see the group were getting closer and saw Minako being comforted by the other three and felt horrible that she wasn't able to do anything for the girl, who was obviously afraid from a traumatic experience.

xxx

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Said the Chairman. "You're doing fine."

Back at the command room, Ikutsuki sighed. "More importantly…" He looked over at Akihiko. "Do you have anything to drink, Akihiko?"

"Huh?" Akihiko voiced as he noticed the older man seemed worn out. "Why do you look so tired, Ikutsuki-san? Wait…" Then he seemed to remember something as he quickly glanced out of the window to see a bike there across from where the dorm is. "Don't tell me that bicycle outside is yours!"

The Chairman sighed. "Boy, am I gonna be sore tomorrow!"

xxxxx

When the group finally arrived in the dorm, Akihiko and the Chairman greeted them, only to notice that the group were looking over at Minako, who kept quietly telling them that she was okay and that she was just tired, and she quickly said her good-nights to everyone and headed up the stairs.

"Uh… Did we miss something?" The Chairman asked as he looked for Mitsuru for confirmation.

"When they defeated the Shadow that hijacked the monorail, Minato was able to figure out the brakes and stopped the monorail just in time before a major accident that would've caused a tragic scene, but it seems that it triggered something painful to Minako-chan." Mitsuru reported, sounding concerned towards the end.

"Is it about the accident ten years ago?" The Chairman asked as he looked at Minato, who nodded.

"I don't remember much from what happened back then. Maybe that was my way of handling it, but with Sissy…" Minato sighed. "If you hear screaming, don't worry about it. It happened before."

"Is there anything we can do?" Yukari asked. "I never seen her so scared."

"Yeah man, I have to make up for being a jerk earlier." Junpei said, looking worried.

"It's not your fault, the Shadow would've done it anytime it wanted." Minato said as he sighed. "And as for what you guys can do… Just be there. I've tried different ways in the past, and trying to make her forget is the worst thing you can do for her, but just being around her is enough." He smiled. "If she comes up to anyone of you guys, she's looking for a specific company. Other than that, she'll usually stay in bed or be in the room for the whole day. Just give her at least a day's worth of rest. I think all of us need that as well."

"You're handling this well." Akihiko said.

Minato nodded. "Like I said, I don't remember much about the accident years ago, but Sissy… I think it's just the sensation that she remembers the most. It was probably too much of a shock to me that I couldn't process it like she did." He yawned. "Excuse me… If I don't head up, she'll never fall asleep and that will trigger her manic insomnia spell. And that's just as worst as the nightmares." He excused himself as he headed up the steps before stopping to look at everyone. "Don't worry about her, she's a lot tougher than you will ever know, as long as this doesn't happen too often, she'll be back to her old self."

"Would she need some counseling though?" Mitsuru asked.

Minato smiled sadly. "It's not necessary… we're enough for her." He chuckled. "Maybe she will finally overcome it." And with that he headed up the stairs.

"What does he mean by that?" Junpei asked as Yukari was just as lost.

"No idea. But I think she'll be okay if we just give her some space."

"I don't know… I still feel bad seeing her like that. I know it's not my fault, but still…"

"It's getting late." Mitsuru said. "Let's worry about this in the morning when we're rested. I'm sure she will be fine as long as she knows we're there for her."

"R-Right." Yukari said as she said goodnight, followed by Junpei as they headed up the stairs.

Akihiko seemed concerned about this as he looked at Mitsuru. "Do you really think it's okay? For her to go through with this?"

Mitsuru can see the brotherly concern in the senior boy's eyes and knew exactly what he's relating about. "Have faith, Akihiko. Minato knows her, and I'm trusting on his words. You should understand it better than anyone of us here."

Akihiko was slightly taken aback on that, but he nodded understandingly as the Chairman sighed.

"Minako is a strong girl, I'll give her that. If it were me, I would cry like a child. I would never get over it."

"Let us retire, tonight was a success and deserved some well earned rest." Mitsuru said as the seniors headed up to their rooms while the Chairman sat down at the lounge and had a thoughtful expression.


	29. Episode 28: Simply Smile

Ep. 28: Simply Smile

Minato: Average, Unpolished, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/10-

_Red eyes opened partly to see the blurred vision of the young boy standing just a few feet from her. "B-Brother…" She managed to say in a whisper as she saw something large and dark heading towards him. _

"Brother!" Minako cried out as she jolted up to a sitting position in bed, seeing that her brother was in the room, putting his cell down as the Tanaka show was ending.

"Hey Sissy. Are you feeling okay?" Minato asked, not at all fazed by her awakening in such a manner as he had done this before.

For a moment Minako didn't say anything before she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Let me get you some juice. Want anything to eat?" He asked as she shook her head no, but he figured he would at least bring something back for her. "I'll be right back." He said as he walked out of the room and headed down.

xxxxx

As he headed down, he remembered what that strange boy said about an ordeal and the prediction came true. He was too tired to think of it before, even now he didn't feel all that great, but it was their day off and he was going to use it to make his sister smile again, as well as have his dorm-mates not worry so much. Another thing that happened this morning was the strange call from both Elizabeth and Theodore about the blocking up in Tartarus is removed, therefore they can press onward in their training.

He reached to the lounge and saw everyone in the area.

"Oh, good morning!" Yukari said as she looked up to him. "How are you? And Minako?"

"Morning. We're doing good, Sissy had a nightmare, but that's about it." Minato said as he headed towards the kitchen. "Give me a moment." He went into the kitchen to find a glass, poured juice into it and grabbed a couple of cookies before he headed out to see Yukari, and Junpei there. "How about you guys? Feeling okay?"

Yukari managed a nervous smile. "I can't believe I'm still alive…" She said. "If you weren't there, we'd all be dead." She smiled at him. "Thank you so much. I'm so glad you're here."

"I thought I was gonna die, man." Junpei said as he sighed. "But you saved us by pulling the brake! I'm so glad you were there, dude! Life is wonderful."

Minato laughed a bit. "I'm glad I guessed right! Well, I better take these up to Sissy. I can't leave her alone too long or she'll start panicking."

"How is she?" Junpei asked.

"She only had a nightmare, which is actually a good thing. If it was anything else then we're looking at days to weeks worth of trying to cheer her up. But a nightmare is something that only last a day." He said with a smile. "I may even bring her out for a walk, that always helps her out."

"You know her better." Junpei said. "We'll see you guys around."

"Okay, I'll let her know you guys are thinking of her." He said as he headed up the stairs to find his sister reading.

"Hey Brother." She said as she looked up from the book. "Is everyone okay?"

"A bit worn out, but they're glad to be alive and they were thinking about you." He handed her the glass and cookies.

"I'm sorry." She said as she received her juice and cookies.

"Don't be Sissy. You just had a small attack, and quite frankly, you're doing a great job. That's the best I've seen so far as far as how you handled your triggered panic attacks."

She blushed as she drank her juice and started to feel better. "What are you going to be doing?"

"I'm going to play that game and after that, I figured we'd head over to BookWorms and talk to those two."

"Really?"

"Really." He said as he sat down on the desk with their laptop open and on. "You just relax a bit and I'll let you know when I'm done. Okay?"

"Okay." She said as she smiled at him as she looked back to her reading and munched on her cookie.

'Good, she's smiling again.' He thought as he logged in and saw Maya in the Lunavale Hospital area.

'_hi hi! I was waiting for u! =) so ummmmm… I'm drunk! xD'_

'That's a bit random…' He thought as he typed in _'Oh really? o_O'_

'_YA RLY! ^o^ save me tatsu! __I'm sick of my job! No tiem to party T_T'_

'I guess this person is an adult.' He thought as he waited for her next line of typing.

'_3 beers an counting! 11 will u hold my hair back? Heheh rawr, I even have to work from homo this weekend… =('_

' 'homo'? I think she meant 'home'.' He thought.

'_home** LOL! Nvm -_-;;'_

He couldn't help but chuckle at this.

'_dun worry, I'm on a break u know =P'_ Maya typed as her avatar is dancing on the screen before sitting down. _'it didn't use to be like this T_T I never had to work weekends but lately I cant get motivated to get ne work done work. =/'_

'So you don't like your job?' He questioned as he typed it down and waited for her response.

'_I luv it! Its what I always wanted to do since I was a kid. ^_^ it has been 8yrs tho… maybe I'm jus bored? =/ ugh… sumtimes I wish everything would slow down a bit… ^_^; why do I play this game even tho I hav better things to do? Lol I dun talk like this irl, I swear!'_

'I know.'

'_its jus an online habit =P I suppose I should type correctly like this, but im jus lazy, eheheh I rly like how you have good spelling an punctuation online. That's so 1337.'_

Minato couldn't help but chuckle at that as he felt a stir in his chest as he knew that the bond between him and this Maya person became just a bit stronger.

'_have u ever said 'lol' irl on accident? I think I would die! Rofl that type of thing could get me fired for reals! o_O dun tell ne one, k? I can't get firediwanna keep myjob! -_-; hmm… I better get back to work, huh? Nite! ^^'_ After that, Maya logged off and so did he.

"Sounds like you enjoyed it." Minako said as she looked at the time. "You've been on it for nearly an hour."

"Really? Didn't seem that long."

"Well, anyways, I'm feeling up for a walk now."

"Okay, let's go then." He said as he got up from his chair as they got ready to head out.

xxxxx

They headed down to the lounge where Mitsuru and Akihiko were as they looked up to see them.

"Hey there you two." Akihiko said as he looked at Minako. "Are you feeling okay today?"

Minako blushed as she nodded. "Yes, I'm feeling better today. I'm sorry for worrying everyone."

Mitsuru shook her head. "Do not apologize for something like that. I should be the one apologizing for not being more helpful to you and everyone."

"It was going to happen whether you realize it or not." Minato said. "We were dealing with a Shadow after all. So quit beating yourself over something that was out of your control to begin with."

"Still, I should not have involved you in that kind of situation if I knew what it would lead."

"You can't predict the future." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "Well, we're going out for a walk, we'll be back later."

"Be safe."

"We usually are." He said as the twins headed out of the dorm, leaving the two seniors at the lounge.

"He has a point." Akihiko said. "There's no point in beating yourself up over something that can't be avoided."

Mitsuru sighed as she looked at the senior boy. 'You're one to talk, Akihiko…'

xxxxx

With the twins, they headed to the bookstore and found the old couple behind the counter.

"Ah… Ko-chan and To-kun… welcome—" Bunkichi said when Mitsuko was sobbing, alarming the twins.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked as she looked at Bunkichi.

"Don't worry. She's crying because she's happy." Bunkichi said with a smile on his face. "She always cries at happy events, like the day we first met!"

"What happened?" Minato asked, a bit curious to know what would make the old woman so happy to tears.

"All the graduates from my son's class have gathered at the school." Bunkichi explained. "They're collecting signatures to save the persimmon tree!"

Mitsuko wiped away the remaining tears as she smiled. "They say the tree is a memorial to their former teacher… They don't want it to be cut down."

Minako smiled as she seemed relieved to hear this. "Thank goodness…"

"Many of them came to our son's funeral…" Bunkichi added. "It's been so many years, but they still remember him…" He seemed touched by this as Mitsuko continued.

"They've given their precious time…" She sobbed "for our son… I-I don't know what to say…"

The twins seem happy to hear such great news as it seemed to lighten their spirits, especially Minako who needed this touching moment.

"Ko-chan, To-kun, were you the ones who called them all?" Bunkichi asked with a smile, which seemed to surprise the two as they said that they haven't, which made him chuckle. "There's no need to be modest you two." He was happy and the twins could only let the man believe what he wants to believe. "You two are samurais! A modern day samurai…" He then seemed a bit confused. "What's the female version of a samurai? A kunoichi?" This made Minako giggle as she blushed, thus making Minato smile as he laughed, feeling relieved to see this side of his sister again.

As the twins were basking in this appreciative atmosphere, they felt a stir in their chests as they knew they have made their bond with the old couple even stronger.

Soon they all settled down and Bunkichi looked at them with a smile. "Don't forget about us, even after you've graduated and become an adult. Someday, I'd like to go have a drink together…" He chuckled. "But, let's wait until you two are legal." This made the twins laugh as they hung out a little while longer before it became that time for them to leave. "See ya later, you two!"

"See you!" Minako said happily as she and her brother left the store and headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Where you two been?" Akihiko asked as the twins entered the lounge.

"To the bookstore." Minako said happily.

"You like going there don't you." The senior boy said as Minato mentioned about getting something from the kitchen.

"Well, you see, there's this old couple…" Minako said as she sat down next to him as she started to tell him about the day's events as well as what she had learned from the old couple.

"And this couple thought you and Minato had something to do with that petition?" Akihiko asked as his attention was on her.

"Yep, but for all I know one of the students from their son's class must've heard about it and is the one really responsible, but we don't know who it is so we couldn't really do anything about it."

"Could be a teacher at our school then." Akihiko suggested. "But it seems they really like to think you two did the work, and why disappoint the old couple, right?"

"I guess, but it's still good to hear that the tree won't be cut down." She said happily as she yawned. "Oh wow, I'm tired."

"You better get some sleep then, tomorrow is a school day."

"Yeah, oh, how's your injury? Is it healing along nicely?"

"Yeah, I'm close to being good as new. And then I'll fight along with you guys and cut down most of the time fighting Shadows." He said as he seemed determined to have the injury healed at that moment and do just that.

"One step at a time, Senpai." She said with a giggle. "We want you at your full health before we even consider having you join up."

"Hey now." He said as she giggled, making him smile. "Go on to bed you, the school day is a lot longer when you're tired."

"That's the truth!" She agreed as she got up and said her good night to the senior and headed up the stairs.

Minato came out from the kitchen with an apple at hand and looked at Akihiko. "You think you'll be able to kick ass by the end of this month?"

"I should be able to by then."

"That's good to know. It would be nice to have someone more seasoned in this to help us out." He said as Akihiko chuckled. "What's so funny?"

"You're sister is a tougher gal than you give her credit for. Even you said that yourself."

Minato blushed as he nodded. "Yeah, I did say that." He sighed. "But sometimes, like last night… she's still human with fears that can paralyze a person like her. Hell, even I was scared, but I couldn't afford to stand around and do nothing…"

Akihiko nodded understandingly. "You're a brother, it's natural for you, and in a way, being a leader isn't all that different… the only difference you have is that you now have others who are not related to you, but are still just as important."

Minato nodded. "Thanks Senpai, you always seem to know what I'm talking about." He looked at the other, who was staring at a page of some text book. "Senpai…"

"Hm?" He looked up as Minato shook his head.

"Nothing, I'm going to bed. School will be hell if I don't."

Akihiko chuckled as he continued to read his book.


	30. Episode 29: A Very Eventful Day

Ep. 29: A Very Eventful Day

Minato: Average, Confident, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/11-

The next morning the twins headed over to the school gates when Junpei caught up to them.

"Wazzup?" He said as he joined them. "Today is just an ordinary day, huh?"

"Yep, as it should be." Minato said, yawning as he wasn't really all that wake.

"That was crazy though, the day before yesterday." Junpei said as he cautioned a look at Minako, who didn't react to it, which was a relief to him. "I mean, I've never had that kinda thrill in all my life."

"I like to have my five years I lost from that night back though…" Minato said dully as Minako giggled.

"But don't you think it's been getting more exciting lately?" Junpei asked as the twins nodded.

"Yeah." Minato said, not denying it.

"Definitely!" Minako said, obviously happy about it.

Junpei chuckled, feeling relieved that they thought the same way. "Totally! We won the battle and saved the city. How sweet is that!?" He said as they laughed at this before rushing to their classroom, where they had Mr. Ekoda as he reminded everyone, except Junpei who was asleep at the time, that midterms were on next Monday, then started to go on a rant about this and that.

xxxxx

Lunchtime finally rolled around as the twins offered to get the lunches for the group, in which Junpei and Yukari gave the food money to Minako and told both of them what they wanted before the twins headed out of their classroom.

"Why did they give you the money?" Minato asked as his sister shrugged her shoulders.

"I look more reliable?" She guessed as Rio came up while Kazushi came up from the other side of the hall.

"Arisato-san…"

"Hey Rio-san, how are things?" Minako said as Minato talked to Kazushi.

"Oh, that's right, you're in this class, huh."

"That's right!"

"Hey man! What's up?" Kazushi said as Minato shrugged.

"Different day, same feeling of wanting to sleep." This made the other chuckle.

"I hear ya. Say, you gonna come to practice, right?"

"Yeah, nothing else is coming up."

"Cool, well, see ya there." He said as he headed off to the opposite direction.

"Practice is today." Rio said. You are coming, aren't you?"

"I plan on going." She said with a smile.

"Okay, I'll see you later then." Rio said as she continued her way.

"Let's get the lunch items before the kids start complaining." Minato said as Minako playfully hit his arm.

"Be nice to our friends, Bro." She said as they got the lunches and made it back to the other two and enjoyed it before the class bell rung for them to start getting ready for class.

xxxxx

When class ended, Minato told Minako that he was going to track practice and she told him good luck and she headed to tennis club.

Minato went to training with the rest of the track team members, but he didn't see Kazushi anywhere.

"Yo, Arisato, you seen Kazushi?" Asked a member as he shook his head.

"I saw him in class… If I see him again I'll ask where he's been."

"Okay, you be sure to do that." He said as they began training more before it was over and everyone started getting ready to leave.

Minato headed to the front gate, where he saw Kazushi. "Kazushi?"

"H-Hey!? Minato!" Kazushi said. "Wh-What's up? I was just gonna sneak into practice…"

"It's already over man." He said. "Where did you go?"

Kazushi seemed troubled. "M-My mom kept bugging me, so… I went to the hospital…" He sighed. "After I told her about my knee, she insisted. She made the appointment without telling me, so…" He looked a bit awkward "there was nothing I could do!"

"That sucks." Minato said, figuring that since the other was at the hospital today, he probably doesn't know what's going on or if he did, he didn't want anything else to set off his already bad day.

"Doesn't it? My mom, the rest of the team…" He sighed. "Why does everyone have to be like that…" He seemed satisfied though as he looked at Minato. "It gets annoying when everyone around you is so nosy, huh?"

"I wouldn't know." He said honestly. "So, what did you do in the hospital?"

"Well…" Kazushi started. "Today, they took x-rays… I'll know the results tomorrow." He looked a bit ticked. "I don't know why they couldn't have told me today." He then looked at Minato with a pleading look. "Oh, hey! Don't tell anyone about me going to the hospital, alright? I'm counting on you, Minato!"

"I haven't said anything so far." He said as he thought. 'Shit… I'm keeping a lot of secrets lately… This can't be good in the long run.'

Kazushi sighed. "I-I'm always asking you to keep quiet…" He said as he seemed a bit ashamed. "Sorry 'bout that."

"It's okay man, you've got a reason to not let anyone know." He said as he sensed the other seemed appreciative as he felt a stir in his chest of a bond being stronger.

"Yeah… thanks man…" He said as he seemed to be back to his normal self. "Alright! Today, the doctor told me to take it easy, but let's get to practice! Oh wait, you just said that practice is over…" He shrugged. "I guess I have to go home today."

"Get a good night's sleep, tomorrow's a different day."

"Yeah. Well, later Minato."

"Later Kazushi." He said as he waited for his sister.

xxx

Meanwhile, after the twins parted, Minako went up to Rio, who told her about a strange school club going on at the Paulowina Mall.

"Yuko was just talking about it." Rio said as Minako shook her head that she hadn't heard anything like it. "A Buddhist monk gets hammered on sake and starts blubbering to you… What kind of club is that?"

"I don't think that's a school club, Rio." Minako said as she mentioned that she was ready to head out to practice and they headed out to the field, which they were the only ones there.

"That's it," Rio said as she caught the ball "always keep your knees in mind."

"Got it." Minako said as she was ready.

"Alright, I'll serve next, so…" Rio started to say when she seems to notice something behind Minako. "Oh."

"Heeey, Rio!" Called out a male student's voice as Minako turned to see Kenji come up to them.

'Huh? He knows Rio?'

"Kenji… What do you want?" Rio asked.

"I've got some homework that I just don't understand at all." Kenji said as he looked a bit nervous. "Could you do it for me instead?" He then seemed to reconsider that that thought. "Or tell me how to do it?"

"Homework…?" Rio said as she seemed annoyed. "I bet you just slept through class again." This caused Kenji to laugh nervously as she sighed. "What do I get in return?" She looked at him expectantly.

"Ooh, so you're up for it? Lucky me!" Kenji said happily. "I'll give you my love in return. Love, baby!"

"Nobody needs that!" Rio shot down just as he finished before looking as though she was thinking. "How about you buy me a special at Hagakure?"

He seemed to wince at that. "Yikes, that's steep… Okay!" He said with a nod. "I'll be waitin' around until you're done."

"Yeah, yeah…" Rio said as she waved him off as he left and looked at Minako. "Oh, sorry… I ended up loafing around."

"It's no problem." She said. "You seem to get along with him."

"I guess… we're childhood friends. I've known him since preschool…"

"That's a long time to know someone."

Rio giggled. "He's like a younger brother to me. That's all." She said with a sigh. "He's been coming here a lot lately, and he's starting to be a pest…" She then looked a bit down as she sighed.

Minako didn't know what to do as she mentioned about continuing the practice, in which that seemed to gain Rio's attention.

"O-Okay…" She said with a sigh. "It… isn't much of a practice with just the two of us, huh? Sorry…"

"It still counts. I have some one-on-one training at least. I've gotten a bit better since I joined."

"Yeah…" She said as she mumbled.

"Hey… They'll come back eventually." Minako said. "And when they do, I'll be able to help you out because you taught me."

"Yeah…" Rio said as she bit her lip.

"What's wrong Captain?"

"It's like… I don't want to pretend nothing happened, and I'm not going to say this is my fault. I know that I need to be more mature about this, but…" She sighed. "All that stuff about having never been in a relationship and stuff… That's none of their business."

"Don't let that get to you. Not everyone can be in a relationship."

"Yeah…" Rio said as she seemed troubled still. "Minako-san… Do you have… someone you like?"

Minako seemed a bit lost as she remembered the talk from Junpei to go after Akihiko and shook her head. "Nope… not really."

"I-Is that so…" Rio seemed relieved about that. "I don't get romance. It seems like so much trouble, and there's no big reward for doing it."

Minako felt that she just learned something about Rio just then and felt a stir in her chest and knew her bond with the tennis captain grew stronger.

"Let's get back to practice." Rio said. "I'll serve, Minako-san, so you…" She stopped as she smiled awkwardly. "Uhh… Is it okay if I just call you Minako? I feel it fits you better."

Minako nodded. "Of course! As long as you don't mind me calling you Rio."

"Fine by me." She said as they both laughed as they continued to practice before finishing it up and heading out, where Minako headed to the school gates where she saw her brother waiting for her and they headed to the dorms.

xxxxx

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as they entered the lounge. "How are you two?"

"Doing good." Both said as the senior nodded.

"Good to hear. Oh, if you don't mind, it seems some of the equipment in the command room is malfunctioning. Could you look into it? It shouldn't take long."

"Okay… why?" Minato asked as Minako was about to head up.

"I asked Akihiko and Iori, but judging by their responses, I doubt they were taking me seriously."

"Oh, okay, I don't mind being the bigger man then." Minato said as Minako face-palmed.

"Geeze…" Minako said as she looked at Mitsuru. "I'll call for you if Brother does something stupid." This earned a small complaint from her brother as Mitsuru chuckled out of amusement before looking back to her book.

"Just so you know, that wasn't an order, just a favor. If you have nothing else to do, I'd appreciate this."

"And we're happy to help, order or not." Minako said with a smile as she followed her brother up the stairs.

Mitsuru smiled as she called out her thanks to them as she shook her head and eyes were back on the old pages of the book she was reading.

xxxxx

When the twins reached up to the command room, they looked to see a bank of consoles, and they noticed that the surveillance camera seems to have turned itself on, allowing them to watch a recording.

"Wanna see?" Minato asked.

"What if it's something very personal?" Minako asked.

"Then we'll shut it off." He said as he pressed play on the recording, finding the Chairman in the same room, just after they completed that mission writing something in a notepad.

"_Hm… A Shadow in the middle of town… It managed to take over public transportation… I should investigate whether this means it's finally begun…"_

'Finally begun?' The twins thought as they looked at one another before the Chairman continued.

"_Monorail… Listen to the monorail in monaural…"_ The Chairman said as he giggled. _"Oooh, I must make a note of that one…"_

The twins were not amused.

"_Luck played an uncomfortably large part in the victory…"_ The Chairman continued seriously. _"Especially towards the end… if he hadn't guessed at the right controls, things could have been very bad. For Shadows to work in a group to overrun large machines is unprecedented… The engine…"_ He said for a pausing moment before continuing. "_That was an engine-ous move!"_ He laughed while the twins face-palmed at this recording. _"What's with me today!? I'm on a roll! Oh yeah, better write that one down too…"_ He wrote it down as he looked serious again. _"One should always wear bright clothing at night… Otherwise, the Shadows could make it dangerous to walk near traffic! Whoa, I'm getting a little off subject… but who cares!?"_ He laughed as he wrote it down. _"Hey… I should write all these down and show them off the next time everyone gets together!"_ He paused for a moment before he added. _"'Don't care for seafood? They also serve GROUND beef!'"_ He laughed. _"This has nothing to do with the status report anymore, but I'm having a blast! Let's see, what else…"_ And that's when the recording stopped.

The twins stood there, not sure what to say to this as Minato turned and headed towards the door.

"Looks like it's working just fine, if you ask me."

"Yeah…" Minako said as she followed her brother out of the room.

"I'm going to head out for a bit, wanna come?"

"Where?"

"To the Velvet Room and check in with that officer guy to see if there's anything that we might use."

"Okay, I'm going to study for a bit."

"Okay. Don't stay up."

"You be careful." She said as she watched her brother head down stairs while she went into their shared room.

"I'm heading out, I'll be back." Minato announced as the seniors nodded and he headed out of dorm and made his way to Paulowina Mall to go into the Velvet room, where he saw only Igor and Elizabeth.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I have something important to tell you today." Elizabeth said. "I've been asked to inform you about the Persona Compendium."

"Compendium?"

She brought out a thick book as she opened it to the first page. "You may register any of your Personas in this book, and for a fee, you can withdraw them at any time."

"Okay." He said as he decided he was going to try that out as he registered Orpheus, Apsaras and Pixie into it and then decided to try to do fusing. He fused Pixie and Apsaras, which then brought out Nekomata, who sounded a bit put off but there's a willingness to protect him underneath the tone. He also continued the fusion with Orpheus and Nekomata to get Omoikane, a brain-looking Persona. He then asked Elizabeth to look at the book he registered the others in and paid to get them back, now sensing five Personas in him. He continued to use the fusion to receive Chimera and Frost Jack, which completed a quest from Elizabeth and he bought back his other Personas, giving him a total of eight Personas.

He thanked them and left the Velvet Room, only to look at the 'battle panties' Elizabeth gave him as a reward for completing a quest. "Looks like it can fit Yukari…" He then had a scenario where the said girl would turn him into pulp. "I better have Sissy give this to her…" He shoved the article into his pocket and headed out of the mall and back into the dorm to rest up for the night, after telling Minako what he did and for her to try the next time she was in the Velvet room.


	31. Episode 30: Small Sucesses

Ep. 30: Small Successes

Minato: Average, Confident, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/12-

The next morning, Minako found a box with her brother's name on it and woke him up to get ready for school. They were closing in at the school gates when Yukari got their attention.

"Mornin'. You hear the news?"

"What news?" Minako asked.

"There's been fewer new cases of Apathy Syndrome the last few days." Yukari filled in. "Senpai said it's probably because we beat that Shadow." She smiled. "Wouldn't that be great if it was true?"

"Yeah." Minato said with a nod. "Shows that it paid off at least."

"Hey! We did our best out there!" Minako said.

"I think so, too." Yukari said. "It was dangerous, but I'm glad we did it." She then looked thoughtful. "We shouldn't get carried away, though, cuz we have midterms next week."

"Oh yeah…" Minato said as Minako sighed.

"You forgot? Do I have to tutor you?" She said as Yukari giggled.

"Well, let's just hope nothing like that happens again until midterms are over."

The twins have a feeling that the next ordeal like that would happen sometime after midterms, so they wouldn't have to worry about it for some time.

"Oh, that reminds me, Junpei told me something…" Yukari continued. "Mitsuru-senpai supposedly is going to give us something nice if we do well on our tests." She sighed. "I bet Mitsuru-senpai's standards are so high she won't give us anything unless we're top ten in our grade."

"That's gonna be tough…" Minato said as Minako seemed determined.

"Okay! I'm going to aim for that top ten spot!"

"Are you serious?" Yukari asked.

"Of course! I've already proven to be better at studying than Brother."

"Hey…" Minato said as he pulled on her cheek. "Just because I don't study like you do, doesn't mean I don't know my stuff."

"You two are a couple of characters…" Yukari said as they headed to school.

xxxxx

When lunchtime rolled around, twins volunteered to get lunch again and headed out of their classrooms when Chihiro came up to Minato.

"Oh, Minato-san…" She said.

"I got it Brother." Minako said as she went on ahead.

He nodded as he looked back at Chihiro. "Hey Chihiro-san."

"H-Hello… I, um… was thinking…" She started to say as she looked shy, making him tilt his head. "I um… Uh… If you, um, get bored… then, um… maybe we could um…" She then blushed terribly. "N-Never mind! Bye!" With that she bowed and quickly headed towards a different direction.

"She looks like she wanted to ask me something…" He said to himself as he made note to find her after school as Minako came up with the lunch packs and drinks. "You carried all that by yourself?"

"Of course, I figured you were going to take a while." She said simply as she mentioned the door. "You can get the door though."

"Smart aleck." He said with a grin as he opened the door. "Hey, Sissy, I'm going to hang out with Chihiro after school, that okay?"

"Of course." She said as they headed to where Yukari and Junpei were talking and they sat down to eat their lunch.

xxxxx

When the bell rung to signal that classes were over for the day, Minato notified his sister of his departure and left to look for Chihiro, which didn't take him long as he found her outside of the classroom, seeming to debate something to herself.

"Hey there." He said as she looked up and seemed surprised to see him there.

"Oh, Minato-san… Are you on your way home?"

"Not really. I was actually going to look for you. You seem like you wanted to ask me something earlier."

"Oh… y-yes…" She said as she blushed. "U-Um, this is kind of embarrassing, but… will you help me with my homework?"

"Sure."

"Okay, will the library be okay?"

"To the library it is." He said with a smile as he followed her to the said location.

While they were in the library, Minato noticed that she was having the most trouble with math, which made her sigh.

"A treasurer who's no good at math…" Chihiro said as she seemed defeated. "I was chosen for this job without my consent… I never asked to be Treasurer…" She seemed to realize something and looked at Minato. "B-But, if I didn't join Student Council, I would've never met you, right!?"

He nodded when a brunette female student behind them told them to shut up.

"Oh… I-I'm s-sorry…" Chihiro said as she seemed to sink back into her seat.

"If you're gonna flirt with each other, do it outside…" The female student continued as the long haired male student next to her mentioned that his hand hurts from holding a pencil before smiling teasingly.

"But if you give me a kiss, I'll be able to study another thirty minutes."

"Hey, not so loud." The female student said with a bit of blush on her face.

"C'mon, gimme a kiss! Please!"

The female sighed. "Okay, fine…" She said as she and the male student got up from their seats and headed over behind one of the shelves.

'What a hypocrite…' Minato thought as he was amazed he even witnessed this.

"They're gonna kiss…!?" Chihiro said, just as shocked and annoyed as he was. "Wh-Where do they think they are!?"

"It's rude, that's for sure…"

"That's right! I agree!" She said, her voice getting a little louder. "This is supposed to be a place of learning… and they're still just kids! I say this as a member of Student Council… That kind of behavior shouldn't be tolerated at school!" She didn't notice that everyone in the library was watching her as she looked at Minato. "Let's discuss this in our next meeting!"

"I agree." He said as he could see her glowing.

"If you're on my side, Minato-san, then I have nothing to fear!" She said as she realized how loud she's been and blushed from embarrassment. "Oh, s-sorry… I shouldn't have screamed in the library…"

"It's fine, I thought you were pretty awesome there."

"It's not that…" She said as she looked determined. "I-I don't mind if it happens to me… but…" Her face softened to concern. "I don't want you to get picked on too, Minato-san."

He was touched by her concern as he felt a stir in his chest that means that the bond with her was a bit stronger now. "Thanks Chihiro-san, but I'm a lot tougher than I look." He said with a chuckle, which made her smile a little.

"I'll be her a while longer… so… there's no need to wait for me."

"You sure?" He asked as she nodded.

"Yes, I'll be fine from this point. Thank you for helping me with math."

"No problem. Just let me know if you need help with anything else, you know where to find me." He said as he gathered his things and headed back to the dorm, only to get caught by Kenji. "Kenji? Wha-?!"

"No time to explain, just come with me!" He said as he dragged the other to the first floor hallway, where the faculty office is, and it looks as though most of the teachers have left.

"Hey, thanks for coming."

"You forced me here."

"You could've fought me off."

"True."

"Anyway, can you wait here for a sec?"

"Why?"

"Hey, don't freak out, man!" He said as he smiled excitedly. "I'm gonna go ask Ms. Kanou out right now!"

'Oh boy.' Minato thought as he gave him a thumbs up. "Good luck."

"Thanks, man! I'm gonna go get myself a girlfriend!" He said as he seemed happy. "Alright, dude, here I go!" He then ran off.

Minato waited as he sighed. 'Well, she'll probably let him down easy.' He thought as he waited for about a few minutes when Kenji ran back.

"Hey, man, listen to this!" Kenji said happily.

'No way…'

"She said yes! Can you believe it!? She said YES!"

"How did you go about it?" Minato asked, honestly curious about how the other did it.

"Well… Just as I was about to ask HER out, she asked ME if I wanted a private lesson! A private lesson, dude!" He said as he was in his own world.

'Really? That could mean so many different things though… But maybe she did like him too…' He thought as Kenji came back to Earth.

"Dude, I owe you! I owe you big time!"

Minato still wasn't sure how to take this as he felt his chest stir as the bond became a bit stronger.

"She invited me over to her house, dude! Oh man, I'm not ready for this! I probably shouldn't try to go too far with her today, right? But, then again, she IS an adult, so…" He said as he was talking to himself while Minato waited for him to gather himself up, which he did and looked at him. "Oh, hey, Minato, you're still here?"

"Yeah, you didn't seem ready to let me go yet."

Kenji chuckled. "Sorry, man, I gotta get going. Later, dude."

"Later, and congrats."

"Thanks man!" Kenji said as he ran off.

"Looks like I'm going to the shrine to pray for his safety." He said with a sigh. "I hope I'm not damning myself for this…" He said as he headed his way to the dorm. "I need some sleep... This is too much for one day…"

xxx

Meanwhile, after Minato left to look for Chihiro, Minako was packing her things when she saw Yukari was about to head out as well, and quickly went up to her to hang out with her.

"Hey, wanna stop somewhere on the way to the dorm?"

"Okay, let's go then."

They headed to the movie theater where they saw a movie, then after that they headed to a florist shop to look at some flowers, that looked stunning in the setting light from the sun.

"Don't you feel happy when you go to a flower shop?" Yukari asked her as she looked at the flowers. "There's so many colors, and they're all so pretty." She went up to one and smelled one of the flowers. "I dream about having a room just full of flowers one day." She turned to look at the other girl. "Hey, what's your favorite flower?"

"I like gerberas." Minako said. "Especially the white ones."

"Oh, I like those too." Yukari said as she seemed to beam in happiness. "It's like they're cute, but full of energy too." She turned to look at the different colored variety of the flower type. "I like how they come in so many different colors." She seemed excited as she looked at the other flowers. "Back in the day, my house used to be filled with flowers. My mom really liked flowers, so she always bought a lot of them. She'd decorate with the ones I'd pick, too." She looked a bit solemn as she mentioned this. "That's probably why I like them so much… But for a while, there was a time that I didn't like seeing flowers. They would bring back memories… And they reminded me that what is beautiful can quickly wither away." She then smiled again. "But, I don't feel that way lately. I even feel like getting some flowers for my own room." She chuckled. "I wonder why… I don't really understand this myself." She looks at the flowers with a look that seems nostalgic.

'I didn't know that she likes flowers so much, but then I should've known from the start.' Minako thought as she felt something stir in her chest and felt the bond getting stronger with the other girl.

"That's it!" Yukari said, sounding determined. I'm buying a whole bunch of flowers today!" She went up to the cashier. "Excuse me! Can you make me a big bouquet for something like 3000 yen?"

Minako tuned the conversation out as she looked at the flowers as well, remembering a time when she would make flower chains with her mother when she was very little and she would place them on her father and brother.

"Huh? No!?" Yukari questioned, bringing the other girl back to the present as the cashier explained something. "Oh… So for that price, it'll just be a huge bunch of baby's breath…?" She shook her head. "Ugh… No thanks."

Minako looked at the gerberas and grabbed a small bouquet of them and purchased them. "We can split them and we can each have a couple in our own rooms to start with."

"Great idea!" Yukari said as they started to head back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Where you've been?" Akihiko asked as the girls walked into the lounge.

"We went to see a movie and stopped by the florist." Minako answered, holding her small bouquet as proof.

"Worried about us, Senpai?" Yukari asked with a teasing smile.

"Not really, but when Minato said he had no idea what you were doing-"

"There you are Sissy!" Minato said as he came out of the kitchen. "Where were you?"

"Weren't you listening?" Minako said with a sigh. "Movie with Yukari and then bought flowers."

Minato sighed as he scratched his head. "That's three months off my life span."

"Quit being a drama prince! You stopped a train not too long ago!"

"That's different!"

"Okay you two…" Mitsuru said as she went down the stairs and into the lounge. "You either take your arguing outside or go up to your rooms and study for the midterms."

"Okay." The twins said in unison as they said their good nights before Minako saying that she had a lot of fun to Yukari and that they should do it again sometime and headed up the stairs with her brother.

"Those two have too much energy." Mitsuru said as she sat down to open her book, which she was about done with.

"How many times are you going to read that book?" Akihiko asked with a raised brow.

"Until I fully understand it."

"How many times have you read it?" Yukari cautioned to ask.

"After this, it will be the fourth time reading it." Akihiko answered as he avoided the icy glare.

"Isn't that the book Minako gave you as thanks?" Yukari asked as Mitsuru blushed.

"Yes it is, and it's quite a good story. Worthy of reading it more than once, since it has a bit of a complex story to it."

Yukari raised a brow as she shook her head. "Whatever floats your boat."

Akihiko chuckled as he continued to work on his glove.

"Say another word, Akihiko, and you'll be on sick leave for another month." Mitsuru warned.

"I didn't say anything." He said, not looking up as he paid close attention to his boxing glove.

xxxxx

Back in the twins' room, Minato stared at his sister as she went around to look for a place to place the flowers in, which was a small clay vase that they made some time ago out of boredom, filled it with water, placed the flowers in, and placed it on the window still.

"Perfect!" She said as she looked at the red, white, and purple gerberas.

"It's not really doing anything."

"It's giving the place some character." She said as she sat down on her bed. "Besides, when was the last time we had flowers around?"

Minato didn't want to answer that because it reminded him of the funeral of their parents, there were a lot of white flowers on that day. "Too long." He answered finally as he had to admit the flowers did bring something to the room. "Oh well, at least you had a good day."

"How was Chihiro?"

"Oh, she's getting comfortable talking to me." He said as he couldn't forget what Kenji had accomplished at the same time. 'Still so confusing…'

"That's good!" She said as she yawned. "I better get some sleep, tomorrow's another day."

"Yeah…" He said as he settled into bed. "See you in the morning, Sissy."

"Night, night, Toto-nii." She said as she went into the covers as well and shut of the light.

Minato sighed as he practically fell onto his pillow. 'Man, I hope I get some sleep tonight…' He thought as he closed his eyes.


	32. Episode 31: Keeping Words and Heartfelt

Ep. 31: Keeping Words and Heartfelt Pains

Minato: Average, Confident, Determined / Minako: Average, Ingenue, Timid

-5/13-

The next morning, the twins were walking towards the school when they overheard a couple students gossiping.

"Did you hear the latest?" Said the gossiping student. "Someone on the staff was hospitalized with some bad injuries. I heard the road suddenly collapsed, and the guy's car fell 30 feet straight down!"

"Wow, I've never heard of anything like that before…" Said the loud student. "Is this school haunted?"

"I know, right!? I think I just felt a chill go down my spine… I should go to the nurse's office."

"Th-The nurse's office!? The same place that staffer is resting? Are you kidding me? He'll give you that weird medicine. You might end up feeling even worse!" Then the bell rang and everyone who was still outside the school building started running towards the building to get to class.

xxxxx

Lunchtime rolled around and Minako volunteered to get the drinks, only to run into Rio out in the hall, asking if she was coming to practice.

"It'll probably be just the two of us there, though…"

"That's fine, more one-on-one coaching time for a beginner."

Rio smiled as she said that she'll be waiting to see her there and left.

xxxxx

Afterschool finally arrived and Minako was feeling good about herself.

"Still feeling great about answering that question?" Minato asked as she nodded.

"Of course! And I'm going to remember that for the exam!" She said as she quickly gathered her stuff.

"What's your hurry?"

"Tennis!" She said simply as she left the classroom, leaving Minato to shrug his shoulders.

"Okay, Sissy. Have a good time, I'm going to track."

"Okay! Have fun!" She said as she ran out.

Minato headed to the track feild where he and the other members worked hard at their training, but he didn't see Kazushi anywhere once again. 'Did he go to the hospital again? He did say he was going to get results back the other day, right?' He thought as he nearly tripped as he ran.

"Oi, Arisato! Pay attention!"

"R-Right!" He said as he continued training until it was over and he changed and headed to the main lobby, where he saw Kazushi there. "Yo."

"H-Hey!? Minato!" Kazushi said as he seemed like a child being caught with his hand in a cookie jar. "Wh-What's up…?" He sighed. "You're probably wondering where I've been…"

"The hospital again?" He said as he made sure no one was around to hear them.

Kazushi nodded. "You remember what we talked about last time?" He chuckled weakly. "Of course you do; you remember everything…" He seemed a little happier then. "I just got back from the hospital… They had the results from my last exam…" He said as he tried to move, only to have a moment of difficulty. "H-Hey… Minato, I…" He seemed to be in pain. "Ugh! D-Dammit! I can't-"

Minato went in and mentioned him to use his shoulder for support.

"Thanks, Minato…" He said gratefully. "S-Sorry to be such a pain…" He seemed happy though as he said this as he laughed a bit weakly. "F-Funny, huh?"

"What is?"

"I was trying to tie my shoes, and I fell…"

Minato looked to see that one of Kazushi's shoe laces were loose.

"It's a good thing you were around… If it had been someone else, then the rest of the team would've found out…" He said as he seemed to gather himself. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem." Minato said as he felt another stirring in his chest. "What are you going to do now?"

Kazushi seems to hesitate answering this as he looked determined. "I'm gonna go train by myself." He said. "I have to train even though practice is over… The big meet's not that far off." He looked at Minato. "You're leaving right? Later dude, let's train together sometime…"

"Yeah, let's do that." He said as they parted ways. 'Looks like I have to pray for his health too as well as Kenji's safety.' He thought as he headed towards the dorm.

xxx

Meanwhile, out on the Gekkoukan field, Minako were practicing playing tennis before Rio mentioned for them to stop.

"Let's take a break." Rio said as they headed over to where they placed their towels and water bottles to the side. "Make sure you keep yourself hydrated, too." She picked up their water bottles, handing Minako's to her.

"Thanks." Minako said as she took careful gulps of her water when Kenji came up.

"H-Hey there!" He called out as he came up to them.

"You again?" Rio said, slightly annoyed, but not enough to let anyone know that he wasn't wanted. "What do you want now?"

"Umm…" He started as he looked around, noticing that they were the only ones out. "Huh? Are you the only guys here?" He asked.

"If there's anybody else here, they must be ghosts." Rio said a bit sarcastically, but it made Minako giggle a little.

"Would it kill you to stop being so sarcastic all the time?" Kenji said as he shook his head. "It really isn't cute at all."

Rio was a little taken aback as she raised a brow. "So, who are you looking for?"

His face suddenly beamed as he smiled. "Kanou-san." He said happily. "She's this club's advisor, right?"

"Yeah, but she's never here." Rio informed. "She doesn't care… She doesn't even know the rules of the game."

"Well," He said as he seemed confident about something "a sophisticated woman like her wouldn't care much for children's games in any case."

"Children's games…?" Rio said as she was turning red from anger.

'Uh oh…' Minako thought as she was going to intervene when Kenji saved himself.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Ack! Don't waste that pretty face of yours by getting all red like that."

"Y-You shouldn't say stuff if you don't mean it." Rio said as she calmed down a bit, but her face was still flushed in a pink hue.

"But man, where could Kanou-san be?" Kenji said as he looked around. "She wasn't in the faculty office, either…"

"No idea…" Rio said as she looked at Minako. "Do you know, Minako?"

'Why bring me into this?' Minako thought as she shrugged her shoulders. "I'm guessing she went home." She said as Kenji sighed.

"Really? You think so, too? Aw, maaaan. I'm so bummed I could just fall over and die right here."

'Such a drama king…' Minako thought as she asked. "Why're you looking for her?" She asked curiously.

"I got the tickets that Kanou-san wanted…" He said bluntly as he shrugged.

This was a bit confusing to her as she boldly asked if he liked the teacher, which made Kenji blush violently.

"Huh? What, can't I just be nice to one of my teachers!?" He said, making Minako step back a bit.

"I was just asking!" She said as she looked at Rio for help, only to see a different look on Rio's face as she asked why he liked the teacher.

"Huh?" Kenji said as he shook his head. "You're such a kid, Rio-san…" He then straightened his back as if he was going to say something really important. "Listen up, okay? It's got nothing to do with logic or reason. Love is something that just happens, whether you want it or not!"

"It just happens…?" Rio said as she looked really lost.

"But seriously," Kenji said as he looked at the two of them "don't tell anybody about this, got it? I don't even want you and Minako-san talking about me! Okay!?" He then looked at Minako. "Sorry, but I also told your brother the same thing, so please don't tell anyone."

"Toto-nii knows?"

"Huh? He never told you? I thought twins tell each other everything."

"That's only eighty percent the truth…" Minako said as she sighed. "If Toto-nii is keeping quiet about it, then I'll do as well."

"You guys are awesome." He said as he nodded. "Okay! I'll just have to catch her tomorrow. Wish me luck." With that he left.

'Why do I get the feeling that this will end badly?' She thought as she looked at Rio, who was looking down at the ground. "Rio?"

"Love…" She said. "It just happens to you?"

'I guess she's troubled by that.' Minako thought as she scratched her head. "I suppose so…"

"He doesn't make any sense at all…" Rio said as she seemed a bit bitter. "It'll never 'just happen' to me…" She looked up to where Kenji left.

'Does she…?' Minako thought as she felt a stirring in her chest as the bond with her friend had grown stronger. 'Oh Rio…'

Rio looked back at her and mentioned to the field. "Let's get back to practice." She said with a smile. "C'mon, we can't let someone like him get to us! I'll round up the balls."

"I-I'll help." Minako said as she helped Rio and practiced a bit more before cleaning up and headed back to the dorm, only to call her brother up that she was going to the mall to find some work and went to the jewelry shop to fill an application in before heading over to the arcade and played a quiz game.

xxxxx

When she got home, she went up to the shared room to find Minato on the bed, reading. "Hey Toto-nii."

"Hey Sissy, what happened?"

She told what happened during tennis and Minato sighed.

"Well, there's not much any one of us can do." He said with a shrug. "I don't mind that Kenji goes for the older kind, but he'll eventually grow out of it once he does reach the age."

"But Rio known him since preschool… She knows him better than most and still…"

"Sissy, it's none of our business." Minato said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are a very kind person who loves to help out others when you can, but sometimes you have to let things take their course if it's inevitable."

"I know…" She said as he patted her back.

"Get some sleep, Sissy, it's another day for all of us."

"Yeah." She said as she changed quickly to her night clothes and settled to bed.


	33. Episode 32: Confiding

Ep. 32: Confiding

Minato: Average, Confident, Determined / Minako: Average, Unique, Timid

-5/14-

The next day seemed like a blur as school ended without too much drama and Minako was getting ready to head out, since her brother was going to hang out with someone today.

"_You know Yuko?"_

"_Yeah? I've seen her a couple times when she went over to the tennis field."_

"_Well, I've made plans to hang out with her."_

"_Okay…?" She said with a raised brow._

"_What?" _

"_Nothing. Have a good time."_

"_Yeah, see ya."_

She sighed at the memory. 'What is my brother up to? I swear if I didn't know better I think he's becoming a giggalo…'

"Hey," Junpei said as he went up to her, nearly startling her "are you on your way home?"

"Oh, yeah." She said as she smiled. "Want to walk with me?"

"Of course!" He said as he held out his arm. "Shall we?" He grinned as she giggled.

"We shall." She played along as she wrapped her arm around his as they headed out of the classroom, talking about pointless stuff that made both of them laugh.

xxxxx

Soon they were at the Iwatodai strip mall when Junpei mentioned about getting something to eat.

"Let's see… Ramen or a meal… Maybe a beef bowl…" He said as he tried to think of something that they can eat. "Oh wait, what about takoyaki?" He then looked at her. "Uh, what do you want to eat?"

"I'm in the mood for ramen." She said.

"Ooh, you're up for it, too?" He said with a chuckle. "Okay, let's go." He looked up only to stop. "Whoa, what the hell?"

She looked to what Junpei was looking at and saw a middle-aged man standing off to the side, but when she really looked at the man, he was more like staggering off to the side, yelling something that didn't make sense.

"That dude's completely wasted…" Junpei said, his expression getting darker. "It's broad daylight, dammit."

"Let's just avoid him…" She said, knowing that when someone is really drunk, logical reasoning wasn't existent to that person, and she would like to avoid any kind of physical brawl that might happen.

"Yeah." Junpei agreed. "I don't wanna have to deal with somebody like that, either. I mean, if he gets hit by a car or something, it's his own damn fault." Even though he said that he grimaced at the thought of it.

She looked at the drunken man at exactly the wrong time as the man looked at her as well and approached her.

"Haaaah?" The man said as his breath was strong of some kind of alcohol. "Wha'chu lookin' at?"

"Whaddya want?" Junpei said, pulling her back a bit. "Get outta here." He looked disgusted at the man as Minako pulled at his sleeve to head the opposite direction.

"Junpei, let's just go." She whispered, not wanting to get any worse.

"Yeah, you're right." He said as they quickly made their way away from the drunk, who was shouting at them, calling vulgar names that made mothers cover their children's ears.

xxxxx

Soon they were at the Hagakure Ramen restaurant as Junpei was obviously in a bad mood as he sighed.

"Uh… Sorry." He said.

"For what?" She cautioned to ask.

"I… don't like seeing drunks like that." He grinned weakly. "Well, I doubt that anyone actually likes seeing people like that." He chuckled a bit, but it lost all of its usual life as he looked at her. "You… You don't have any parents, right? You and Minato?"

"That is the term 'orphan' means, right?" Minako said quietly.

He nodded as he sighed. "I know that this'll make me sound like an ass… But I kinda envy you guys…" He said as their ramen was placed in front of them. "There have to be some parents that their kids would be better off without…"

"I guess it would depend…" She said, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

"Oh... Sorry." He said as he noticed her tone. "You must've had good parents. Sorry…" He seems apologetic as he stirred around his ramen.

"From what I could remember at least…" She said as she was doing the same thing. "I haven't really got to know them well enough…"

"Right… You were pretty young, huh?"

She nodded. "We were six when we lost them." She attempted to eat her ramen, but it tasted oilier than normal due to the heavy atmosphere.

"My…" He started to say as he debated whether to continue or not "dad was always drinking."

She looked at him to give him her attention as he looked at his ramen.

"He'd just sit there and drink, all by himself." He paused for a moment before continuing. "And every time he did, he'd get violent over the stupidest stuff." He grinned weakly. "But… it doesn't hurt at all anymore. When I was a kid and I acted up, I'd get spanked and it would really hurt. But now… He's lost what strength he had, and I didn't even notice it…" He then seemed to notice how depressing he was sounding as he looked at her. "Whoa… Sorry for bringing that up. I must really be boring you." He then smiled. "C'mon, let's talk about something fun!" He laughs as Minako felt her bond with him getting stronger as he looked at the time. "Crap! Gotta finish these noodles before they get soggy! Let's shut up and eat!" He then started to noisily eat his ramen.

She did the same as well, but the knowledge from what she found out about her friend made her feel somewhat honored to know. 'He probably never let's anyone know how much pain he was in. It doesn't seem like anyone that knows him know about that.'

When they were done, they headed back to the dorm together.

xxx

With Minato, he was in the Paulownia Mall with Yuko in the Chagall Café.

"It's tough being a team manager…" Yuko said as she stirred her tea. "You don't get any respect."

"Really? You seem to get a lot of it." He said as she mocked laughed.

"The guys on the team all act like little kids. 'Where's my towel?' 'Can you wash this for me?'" She sighed. "I'm not their mother." She then shrugged. "At least I don't' have to worry about gaining weight, since I'm always running around taking care of them." She then looked at him. "How about you, Minato-kun? Are you enjoying Track Team?"

Minato nodded. "Yeah, it's a lot of fun."

Yuko smiled. "That's good." She said as she seems happy. "I thought it might be boring for you, since you're so much better than everyone else…"

"Really?" He said as he was wondering if all that time training in Tartarus made him better.

"Yeah, you've got your own style and you don't waste much energy." She said with a smile. "If you have any questions, just ask Kaz… Um, you know… Kazushi." She said as she seemed to stumble for a moment. "You guys are in the same class, so I'm sure he'd be willing to help you. You can ask me, too, if you want, since I'm the team manager." She seemed concerned towards him.

"Thanks Yuko, I'll keep that in mind." He said as he felt a stir in his chest, forming a new bond.

She looked at her watch and looked surprised. "I've gotta run. There's a show I want to catch. See you at school."

"See ya!" He said as they parted ways and he headed back towards the dorm, where he went up to his room to grab a book and headed down to hear his sister and Junpei come in and Akihiko asked where they'd been.

"We were eating ramen." She said as Junpei sighed.

"Let's go to Tartarus." He said suddenly. " You can study anytime. We need to get stronger ASAP." He then grinned and looked confident. "Me n' Hermes will take down the next big Shadow ourselves!"

"You seem confident." She said with a smile.

"Why shouldn't I be?" He said as his head was hit by a book.

"Hit the books!" Minato said. "If Sissy's grades drop, then I'll hold you responsible."

"What the hell man!?"

"How are your grades, Iori?" Mitsuru asked casually, as if talking about the weather.

"How are yours—" Junpei asked as he reconsidered this. "Never mind. I already know."

Mitsuru grinned. "I'm currently studying college-level material, for your information."

"Awesome…" Minako said in awe when Junpei chuckled dejectedly.

"Man, now I don't feel like doing anything at all…"

Minako was about to say something when Minato asked Junpei about a handheld game, which she remembered that she also agreed for the same quest and joined her brother to the Velvet Room as Elizabeth and Theodore were looking at it.

xxxxx

"Welcome to the Velvet Room." Both siblings said in unison.

"I have something new to tell you today." Theo said. "Are you aware of the Antique Shop at Paulownia Mall?"

"The one that's currently closed?" Minato asked.

"Correct." Elizabeth said.

"They carry all sorts of things," Theodore continued "both ancient treasures and worthless junk. It seems the shop's owner has an amazing ability."

"An ability?" The twins said in unison.

Both siblings nodded as Theodore continued. "From what I've heard, she can change Personas into weapons."

"Huh?"

"In other words…" Elizabeth said with her mysterious smile "it can be referred to as weapon fusion."

"However," Theodore continued " the shop seems to still be closed. Let us wait in anticipation for its reopening."

"Will do." Minato said as he took out the game system. "Is this what you guys wanted to look at?"

The siblings looked at the portable game system as Elizabeth took it off of his hand to further look at it.

"I've heard these have special mechanisms that make the player forget about the passage of time…" She said.

"I see," Theodore said "so it sends out signals to altar the user's brainwaves…"

"How frightening…" She said as she looked at the portable game console around at different angles. "How does it work? Does it send slight shocks to addle your mind?" She said as she handed it to Theodore. "I don't think I'd like to try this anymore. Please take it."

"Oh, no, I think I will refrain from trying it myself." He said as he took it from his sister, only to hand it back to Minato. "Please, take it with you when you go." He said as he went over to the side of the room and then back out with a medium sized, thin box of sorts. "Please accept your reward."

Elizabeth then opened the box to reveal the two-handed sword.

"Awesome." The twins said in unison as they knew that this was something that Junpei will go crazy over.

"Is there anything we can assist you with?" Elizabeth asked as the twins didn't have anything at the moment and bid them a good night and left the Velvet Room.

After that, they headed to their part-time jobs, and then headed back to the dorm.


	34. Episode 33: Switching Leaders

Ep. 33: Switching Leaders

Minato: Average, Confident, Determined / Minako: Average, Unique, Timid

-5/15-

The next morning the twins were heading to the school gates when Mitsuru stopped them for a moment.

"Good morning." She said. "Exams begin next week. Are you two prepared?"

"We are." Both said with confidence that Mitsuru nodded.

"Ah, just as I suspected. I'll be looking forward to seeing your grades."

"Yukari said that if we do good you'd give us something." Minato said.

"That is correct. Consider it a reward." Mitsuru said as the twins seem excited about it. "To be honest, I'm not as well prepared as I should be. I'm still preoccupied with monitoring Shadows." She said as she looked at the two. "At any rate, the number of incidents has decreased since our last mission. If we can continue to defeat them, we may be able to rid the public of their fear." She then looked concerned. "However, every time a new Shadow appears, it seems to be more powerful than the last." She sighed. "And even after Akihiko returns to battle, we still won't be at full strength…"

"Don't make it sound like we don't have a chance." Minato said. "After the exams are over, we'll keep training and we'll be ready for those Shadows when they do come. Don't look down on hard work like that."

"I-I'm sorry." She said, a bit taken back by that.

"You're worried, we understand, but Toto-nii is right. We can do this as long as we have each other's backs."

Mitsuru nodded. "Yes…" She said as she looked at them. "Thank you, both of you."

"Happy to help." Minato said as he pointed to the school. "Now, we have to get to class."

"Race ya!" Junpei said suddenly as he ran past them.

"Get back here!" Minato called out as the girls sighed.

"Those two have a lot of energy today." Mitsuru said as they walked towards the school.

"I don't know why though." Minako said. "But I'm not going to worry over it."

Mitsuru chuckled at this as they had to part ways to get to their classrooms.

xxxxx

After school, the twins decided to just head over to the bookstore, seeing that it has been a couple days since they'd seen the old couple and Minako was a bit worried about how they're doing, in which Minato had to come with because he was also curious as well.

They entered the bookstore, where Bunkichi was welcoming them.

"I've been waiting for you two." He said with a smile on his face. "I wanted to tell you the good news as soon as possible. It's about a customer who came by earlier… Who do you think it was? Here's a hint: 'signature'." He waited for them to guess.

"A petitioner?" The twins said in unison.

"Wow! I'm impressed! I thought that hint was too vauge…" Bunkichi said with a laugh. "But yeah, it was one of the organizers of the campaign to save the persimmon tree." He seemed cheerful. "He said, 'Let's protect the tree together!' AND he's gotten a lot of signatures from students who were in our son's class."

"That's wonderful!" Minako said.

"Awesome!" Minato said as Mitsuko came up.

"Many people want to honor his memory… He was loved by everyone." She said with a smile on her face.

"Of course! He was our proud son!" Bunkichi said.

"I'm sure he's just as happy as we are." Mitsuko said.

"Alright! Ko-chan, To-kun, let's go to Gekkoukan right now! I have to tell my son the good news!"

"Let's go!" Minako said, feeling their excitement as it seemed to radiate off of Minato as well.

"What are we waiting for?"

"Sweet! That's music to my ears!" Bunkichi said as he seemed excited. "I've never been so excited about a walk before!"

The twins felt that their bond with the old couple has gotten stronger as Bunkichi had a bit of a spark in his eyes.

"Let's race to the persimmon tree from here! I won't lose, not even to a youngster like you two!" He then looked at his wife. "Alright, dear, we'll be back. Thanks for watching the store." With that he started to head out with the twins following close behind, partly to make sure the old man doesn't hurt himself, and partly to make him feel like a winner when they reached to the school and to the persimmon tree.

They walked him back to the book store where they said their good nights and the twins headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"S'up dudes." Junpei said as he looked up at them. "Where were you guys?"

"Bookstore." Both said.

"You guys really like that place."

"You should check it out sometime, it's a lot of fun." Minako said.

"I'm good." He said as he stretched. "I'm so bored."

"Study." Minato said. "Otherwise I'll won't let you go to Tartarus."

"C'mon man!" Junpei whined.

"Only little kids have the right to whine."

"You're an ass!"

"Payback from that train incident."

"I said I was sorry!"

"Please don't fight you two!" Minako said as the two started to argue as she sighed before grabbing them by the back of the heads and colliding their foreheads together.

"What the hell!?" The two said, a bit shocked that she did that.

"I may not be the leader, but I'm second in command next to my brother, and it's my job as second in command to make sure that the leader and everyone else gets along. And as such, I'm going to tell you as a friend, sister, and concerned second in command to put aside your childish argument and get up to your rooms and study! Or so help me I'll be the one that has the final say of when we go to Tartarus or not!"

The two boys looked at the seniors, who were watching this.

"Can she really do that?" Junpei asked as the seniors looked at each other.

"What do you think, Mitsuru?" Akihiko asked casually.

"You're the one who assigned Minato as the leader the last couple times." Mitsuru said pointedly.

"Ah, that's right." Akihiko said as he nodded. "Well then, since we've both seen that both Minato and Minako have shown different but effective ways of leadership, I guess it's safe to say it's not too much to say that I can simply assign Minako as the leader when the situation calls for it." He looked at the two boys with a grin. "Like right now."

"I thought we were bros, man! Bros!" Junpei said, obviously horrified by this turn of events.

"I feel like I just got hit in the gut." Minato said, not sure what to make of this arrangement.

"You heard Senpai! Now march!" She said as she pointed to the stairs. "Or do you guys want me to call up Yukari to help me?"

"We're going! We're going!" Junpei said. "Man… You didn't have to do that…"

"No, I didn't have to, but I don't want to see you or Brother fighting!"

"Sorry Sissy…" Minato said. "I was way over the line."

"You still have to take your punishment for your oversight."

"Yes Miss Leader." Minato said as he went up the steps.

Junpei sighed as he scratched his head. "Will we still go to Tartarus?"

She smiled. "Of course. I'm not going to put everyone in danger just for a stupid fight. But at least put in a little bit of effort in studying, even if it's just one subject."

Junpei smiled and nodded. "Okay, since you said it much nicer than your brother."

"I heard that!"

"March!" Minako called up as she patted Junpei's shoulder. "Now try your best!"

"Alright, alright…" He said with a grin. "See ya!" He headed up the stairs as he waved.

"Night!" She said as she looked at the seniors. "What just happened?"

"You've just became leader for the next mission." Mitsuru said with a proud smile. "And I must say, that was rather impressive."

"I don't even know what I did!" Minako said with a nervous laugh. "But at least Junpei and Brother aren't fighting anymore…" She sighed. "Oh boy… I need to sleep…"

The seniors smiled as Akihiko called out. "You did well. So don't worry about it too much."

She blushed as she nodded. "T-Thanks…" She then headed up the stairs to her shared room.

Mitsuru chuckled as she read a text book. "Well that was exciting."

"I knew she had it in her." Akihiko said as he looked back down at his math book to write down his answer. "To think all it took was a near destructive argument between the two important guys to her."

"Well it comes to no surprise." Mitsuru said. "And what she had to say is true, if the leader is in bad terms to those who follow them, there will be complications. And I would hate to see that happen, especially since they've shown that they do have excellent teamwork thus far."

"Yeah…" Akihiko said as he looked back up to the stairs before shaking his head and continued to answer the questions in his book.


	35. Episode 34: Minako's First Order

Ep. 34: Minako's First Order

Minato: Average, Confident, Tough / Minako: Average, Unique, Timid

-5/16-

The next morning the twins were heading towards the school gates when they heard someone trying to catch up to them and saw that it was Akihiko.

"Senpai?" Minako questioned as he stopped and panted.

"H-Hey."

"Running late?" Minato asked, not used to seeing Akihiko coming up like this. "And are you sure you should be running around?"

"Are you feeling well?" Minako asked.

This made the senior boy laugh as he stood up. "The opposite, actually, and no, I'm not running late." He said. "The doctor said I'm almost fully healed, so…" He shrugged. "I couldn't wait to get some exercise."

"That's great!" Minako said, happy to hear that he was close to being healed.

"When will you be fit to kick ass?"

"I'll be ready for battle after midterms." Akihiko said as he looked determined. "But, that means I've got to start training now."

"Just don't strain yourself." Minako said. "There's still a chance that you'll hurt yourself again if you're not careful."

"Yes Leader." He said with a smile, making her blush.

"Don't call me that." She said, a bit embarrassed.

"Okay you two, let's get to class. I rather not be late." Minato said.

"We're always on time though." Minako said as the trio headed to the school.

"And I really don't want to break that record, thank you."

"Well, I'll see you guys later." Akihiko said.

"Start light on those exercises!" Minako said as he said he understood and they parted ways and headed to their class.

"You're sounding like a better leader than I was."

"Hey! You're still leader, but right now you just have to prove yourself." She said as she thought about it. "Or I simply give it back."

Minato patted her head. "I'm just poking fun at you." He said. "To be honest, I don't mind it. We just have different ways of leading a team, and I think that's not a too bad thing. At least we know that you can be rough now."

She blushed. "I'm sorry about that."

"Nah, it's fine, if you didn't do that, I would've lost a friend."

She smiled as they headed to their classroom.

xxxxx

After school finally came and Minako wanted to go to the shrine to do a prayer for them for the exam, and Minato decided to join her. When they got to the shrine, they saw Maiko, poking the sand mount and called her, making her look up and seemed happy to see them.

"You came!" She said. "I was waiting for you!" She reached over to grab Minako's hand. "Let's play!"

"Sure! Let's play!" Minako said happily as they went over to the seesaw, which became funny when Minato helped out Maiko and kept her in the air before carefully letting them continue before they were done, in which it was his turn as Maiko grabbed his hand to the horizontal bars, in which he helped her up and they played with that for a while before she was done and he helped her down.

"What do you guys wanna do next?" Maiko asked. "It's up to you, 'kay? Your choice!"

"How about the jungle gym?" Minako suggested as the girl seemed excited.

"Oh boy! I'm gonna climb way up high, okay?" She said as she started heading towards the jungle gym.

"Wait up!" Minako said as she laughed, followed by Minato as they reached to the top of the jungle gym and they sat there, watching the view from where they were, seeing that it was getting late.

"It's getting a bit late." Minato said, looking at his watch.

"But, I don't wanna go home yet." Maiko said, looking a little sad. "I don't like it there." She looked at the two a bit pleadingly. "Can't we stay together for a little longer?"

"Of course." Minako said as Minato nodded, as both felt a stirring in their chests, knowing that they've begun a bond with the little girl.

Maiko seemed happy about that as she sighed. "So, my mom and dad…" She started to say "they fight a lot." A little bit of tears started to appear in her eyes. "They're going to get a divorce, huh?" She started to sniffle. "I tell them I want us to be happy, but they don't listen. They probably hate me, too."

"That's not true." Minako said she said as she moved a stray hair from the girl's face.

"She's right, how can they not love you?"

Maiko managed a smile as she nodded. "Hey, we can play again later, right? I think we're friends now."

"Of course." Minako said.

"We'll be a bit busy since we have exams coming up, but we'll definitely come back to play with you." Minato said.

Maiko nodded as she told them when she's at the shrine as they headed down from the jungle gym and they parted ways, the twins heading to the dorms.

"Divorce huh…" Minako said as she looked sad. "I can't even imagine what she's going through."

Minato grabbed her hand and gave it an assuring squeeze. "That's what we're here for now. To help her along with it."

"Is that why we have those social links? To help others?"

"I believe so." He said with a smile. "And in a way, they're helping us by letting us be a part of their lives, even if it's brief."

She nodded, feeling better with that thought. "I like that thought of it." She said as they made it to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as she asked them if they wanted to go to Tartarus.

"Huh?" The twins were confused by this question.

"With the exams around the corner?" Minato asked as Mitsuru grinned.

"I just wanted to make sure." She said. "Of course we won't be able to go until after the exams."

"Senpai will be better by then, right?" Minako asked as the senior nodded.

"Yes, he's been acting like a restless child since his doctor told him he was going to be healed soon. I'm surprised he hasn't done anything too reckless."

"That's because Sissy told him to do light exercises today after he told us."

"Toto-nii!"

Mitsuru smiled. "It seems last night's display of leadership has given him reason to listen to you."

"M-Mitsuru-senpai…" She said with a blush.

"Well, I'm going to grab something to eat and get to studying." He said as he headed to the kitchen. "Want anything Sissy?"

"Nothing thanks." She said. "I'll be up in the room."

"'Kay!" He said as he grabbed a bar of some form and headed his way to the stairs. "See you tomorrow, Senpai."

"Good night." She said as she looked over her text book again when the door opened to see Akihiko coming in. "Welcome back, Akihiko."

"Hey." He said as he panted a bit. "Shit I'm more out of shape than I realize. Even a light run is doing me in."

Mitsuru grinned as she shook her head. "As long as you're not doing anything that will make you in worst shape."

"I know…" He said, a bit annoyed but couldn't put past her for being concerned. "Is everyone back?"

"Yes." She said. "And Minato told me that you listened to Minako-chan."

He blinked. "Well, yeah, because it wouldn't do any of us any good if I just push myself before my body has time to get better, but that doesn't mean I should delay at least the light training I can do until I get the doctor's okay."

"Of course." She said, not looking up from her book. "Now get cleaned up and get a good night's rest."

"Right…" He said as he disappeared up the stairs.


	36. Episode 35: The Mystery Letter

Ep. 35: The Mystery Letter

Minato: Average, Confident, Tough / Minako: Average, Unique, Timid

-5/17-

The next morning, the twins woke up and dressed in their casual clothes as Minato turned the laptop on and logged in to the online game, which he saw that Maya wasn't on just yet.

"Are you going to be playing again?"

"Yep. You?"

"I'm going to study my math. I'm going to see if I can get Junpei to study with me."

"He does need the help." He agreed. "Hey, after I'm done playing and we still got time, let's go to the bookstore, I'm a bit curious to know what they're up to."

"Yeah, it has been a couple days since we last talked to them." She said as she gathered her stuff to study with. "I'll be down at the lounge area if you need me."

"Will do." He said as he watched her leave the room and waited until he couldn't hear her footsteps before he turned on the TV to see the Tanaka show. "Sissy will kill me for this…" He said to himself as he purchased something from the show and looked to see that Maya logged in just in time.

'_I'm running a lil late! I'll brt, k? ^^;;'_ Maya typed in as her character appeared. _'I was on the phone w/ my mom =/ whenever we talk, its always the same… ugh. Its like all she cares about is marrying me to some dude =/'_

'_Don't you want to get married?' _He typed and waited for her to respond.

'_eventually! But not til I'm like 40 -_-#'_ Maya seemed upset as Minato thought it was a reasonable age to marry, especially if you're truly serious, in his humble opinion. _'I mean, WTF! Everyone acts like a girl has to get married to be happy it's sexist to think women can only be happy when they're tied down. -_-#'_

'I totally agree with you there.' Minato thought as he thought about his sister. "I can't even think of her being married to some guy…" He said to no one in particular as he started to feel depressed at the thought as Maya typed something up.

'_the other nite, I got a lil drunky, and I kinda passed out Paulownia… this old dude says, "you think men want drunk sluts like you?" I told him to stfu, dammit! =('_

'You tell 'em.' He thought as Maya typed something different.

'_OTL… sry, kinda got off topic. I guess I'm a little tired =_= but I do feel better now! xD here tatsuya, this is for u'_ Maya gave Tatsuya a health potion, but it didn't have any effect on him. _'oh… I guess your hp was already full… lmaonade I'm trying to say thx for listening to all my bitching ;p'_

He smiled as he felt good to be there for someone, even if they probably will never meet face to face as he felt the stirring in his chest once again as Maya typed something up.

'_that old lamer I told u bout was in front of Paulownia x_x if you see him, don't be nice! =/ u'll know cuz he talks like a woman'_

'A woman?' He thought as Maya continued to type.

'_alrite, I better go practice being a good housewife for tatsuya! 3'_ Maya typed before she signed off.

He couldn't help but chuckle at this. "A housewife? Nah, I like it if my wife has a job so at least she has something to do. The house can only be so clean." He said as he thought about what the older man was like that Maya mentioned. "I'll check that out eventually." He looked at the time and saw that he had been playing for an hour and a half. "Looks like we're going to the bookstore if Sissy hasn't gotten too far into her studying." He got up as he found his shoes and headed down the stairs.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, she went up to Junpei's door and knocked on it a few times, getting no response, resorting her to call him up on his cell, only to find out that he was already out and about and didn't plan on coming back to the dorm until the evening. She sighed as she headed down to the lounge anyway to find the seniors there, looking over their own texts books. "Mind if I join you?"

"None at all." Mitsuru said as she mentioned a spot for the other to sit down. "Minato bothering you?"

"Oh, no, I was hoping to help Junpei to study at least the math portion for the exam, but he's already out." She said as she placed her stuff onto the coffee table before getting her text book and some papers to write her work and answers on.

"I see." Mitsuru said as she smiled. "Do you need help in understanding anything?"

"Well…" She said with a bit of a blush. "I've been having difficulty understanding this one math problem… I just don't understand how to go about with the formula or strategy to solve the problem…"

"Which teacher do you have?" Akihiko asked.

"The one who's in love with math."

"I know her." Akihiko said as he looked at Mitsuru. "You don't have her as a teacher, so your short cuts won't be well liked."

Mitsuru was a bit confused as Akihiko came up to look over Minako's shoulder.

"Now, which one are you having difficulty?" He asked as they spent some time working a couple problems when Minato came down.

"Hey there." Minato said as he looked at the trio in the lounge area. "Junpei not here?"

"Nope, but Senpai helped me a lot understanding this one math problem that's giving me grief."

"That's great." He said as he looked up at Akihiko. "Thanks Senpai. I wouldn't be much help to her if we're both having trouble with figuring it out."

Akihiko chuckled. "It's not a problem. It's a good refresher to me, so now I'm confident for tomorrow."

"Are you planning on heading out?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah, I promised Sissy we'd go to the bookstore after I'm done with what I was doing."

"Are you done then?"

"Yep."

"Okay." She said as she looked up at the senior boy. "Thank very much for your help, Senpai." She said as she stood up and bowed.

"It was no problem. And don't be so formal, we are living under the same roof." He said as she smiled and nodded.

"Okay, Senpai." She said as she looked at her brother. "Just let me put my stuff away and we'll go."

"I'll be here." He said as she gathered her papers and headed up the stairs.

"So, what will you two be doing in the bookstore this time?" Akihiko asked with a grin.

"Oh, the usual." Minato said. "Talk about crazy things, throw in a clever pun or two. Catch up on how their persimmon tree is doing."

Mitsuru seemed to catch that as Minako rushed down the steps and the twins said that they would be back later and headed out. "The persimmon tree? The same one at the school?"

"The very same." Akihiko said as he turned the page of his text book.

"They don't know, do they?"

"I don't think even the old couple that mentioned the tree to them haven't realized it yet." He said.

"I see…" She said as she set her book down. "It caused quite a scene with the board members…"

"I'm sure they'll work out with something." Akihiko said. "It's none of our business to begin with. And those two are only getting what the old couple are getting."

"True… And seeing how they are, they must really feel very attracted to them."

"After what happened to their son, seeing those two might've given them some kind of new excitement." Akihiko said with a smile. "Minako would tell me what they would do when they were over there. It almost as if she were talking about her grandparents or something."

Mitsuru smiled. "Maybe so." She said as she looked out of the window to see a beautiful day. "I think I might just take up their idea and just walk around today."

"Really? Aren't you worried about studying not too long ago?"

"Yes, but it's healthy to take a break now and then." She said as she got up. "I will be back in a bit."

"Hey, I'm coming too. I don't want to stay indoors all day." He said as he got up and they both headed out of the dorm.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the twins were at the bookstore and saw the couple working over a piece of paper.

"Um, dear," Mitsuko said with a smile on her face "you spelled it wrong. There are two k's…"

"I know, I know!" Bunkichi said. "I just forgot to write the second one." He sighed. "I feel bad for Ko-chan, To-kun, and all the people who've been campaigning to save the tree…"

"What's this about?" Minato said, gaining the old couple's attention.

"Oh! Speak of the devil." Bunkichi said as he pointed to the piece of paper he was writing on. "I'm writing a letter- - something I haven't done in ages. But, I can't remember how to spell half these words!" He seemed a bit down. "Am I finally losing it? I used to have an amazing vocabulary."

"Why are you writing one?" Minako asked as the old man playfully wagged a finger at her.

"Sorry, can't let you see it. Top secret." He said as he seemed to be having fun.

"I'll tell you both when the time comes," Mitsuko said "Ko-chan, To-kun."

"Well, aren't you curious?" Bunkichi asked.

"I'm itching to know!" Minako said.

"You got me curious. I can't wait another minute." Minato said as Bunkichi chuckled.

"We feel the same way." He said. "Everyday, we just can't wait to see you!" This made the twins feel touched by this as they could feel their faces getting a little warm. "Lately, I even feel smarter! Maybe I should go back to school…" He laughed. "Just kidding."

The twins laughed along as well as they could feel the bond getting stronger.

"I hope we can clean up the store before you come back next time…" Bunkichi said.

"I think it gives it character." Minato said. "But I guess it wouldn't hurt to keep things picked up now and then." This earn him another laugh from the man as they parted ways and he and his sister headed back to the dorm.

"I wonder what that letter was about? I really am curious about it." Minako said as she sighed.

"It's probably a thank you for everyone for saving the tree."

"I think you're right!" She said as she seemed happy, making her skip in her walk. "Ah! I can't wait until the exams are over! I can't wait to know what it's about!"

"One step at a time, Sissy." He said as he chuckled. "But let's do our best on that exam."

"Yeah!" She said as they made it to the dorm, where they saw the Chairman, reading the paper and the dorm was eerily silent.

"Evening, Mr. Chairman." Minato said, gaining the man's attention. "Is everyone studying?"

"Yes, they are." He said as he sighed. "Perhaps I shouldn't have come today. I'm happy everyone is studying for their exams, but I'm feeling a little lonely." He then looked at the ceiling. "By the way, I hear someone yelling every now and then… Who is that?"

"Yelling?" Minato questioned as he figured it was either Junpei playing his game a bit too loud again, or it could be Yukari telling Junpei to keep his gaming down, since she didn't really have the tolerance of steel. "No idea." He said as he yawned. "Well, we're heading off to bed. We've already done our studying. Good night."

"Good night, Mr. Chairman, you're free to stay here a bit longer if you want. We do have a television here."

"Why thank you , Minako-chan. I think I'll take you up on that. Sleep well."

"Good night." She said as she headed up the stairs with her brother and turned in for the night.


	37. Episode 36: The Mid-Term Exam

Ep. 36: the Mid-Term Exam

Minato: Average, Confident, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Unique, Timid

-5/18-

The twins headed to the school gates when they over heard the usual couple of gossiping students.

"Oh, no! The test is today! I didn't study at all yesterday, 'cause… I fell asleep!"

"Come on… You don't need to lie about it every time. By the way, did you hear? Our PE teacher was hospitalized. I heard a signboard fell on top of him."

"Whoa… Wait. Who cares about our PE teacher? C'mon, we've got five minutes! We can memorize ten vocab words!" The girls ran as the bell ranged.

"I don't know if I should feel sorry for them." Minato said as they rushed to their classroom.

"Don't worry about them, we have an exam to focus on." Minako said as they reached their classroom and waited for their exam.

xxxxx

-5/23-

For the whole week they've done this and on the last day of the exam, Minako nearly killed Minato over the box they found in the room.

"I told you, time and again to not waste our money without telling me first!"

"I'm sorry!" Minato called out as he ran out of the room, looking like he was fearing for his life as Minako went as far as outside of the door.

"And don't even bother coming back to the room! You're hereby banned until further notice!" She shouted as she went back into the room to get ready.

"Whoa…" Junpei said as he was on the floor to see what the commotion was about. "What happened?"

"I pissed off Sissy for buying stuff from that Tanaka show without her okay, again…"

"How many times have you done that?"

"I think this is my fourth or fifth time…" Minato said as he sighed. "Mind if I crash with you tonight? I don't think Sissy is going to let me step foot in the room."

"Sure man…" He said as Minako exited the room and speed walked her way to the steps, saying a quick good morning to Junpei as she rushed down the stairs. "Yep, she's pissed all right." He patted the other's shoulder. "Better stick with me for today."

"Yeah…"

xxxxx

Minako arrived at the school alone, feeling a bit cooled down from her exploding episode when Akihiko came up.

"Hey, Minako."

"Oh, Senpai…" She said as she felt more at ease now. "How are you this morning?"

"Good. Today is the last day of midterms."

"That's right."

"If the doctor gives me the O.K., I'll be able to fight with you guys again… finally."

"That's great!" Minako said, her mood getting better.

"By the way, I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"Yeah, and this also goes to your brother as well, but… You two have been doing a good job leading the team in Tartarus…" He said as he looked serious at her. "Would you mind continuing after I come back?"

She was surprised to hear this.

"That way, I can concentrate on building my strength."

"Right, because of your recovery." She said as she nodded. "I'll do my best, and I know Toto-nii won't object to it either. In fact he seems certain this was going to happen."

Akihiko chuckled as he shook his head. "Well, I already talked to Mitsuru, and she was fine with it." He said as he patted her shoulder. "Good luck."

"For the exam or leading?" She asked as he laughed.

"Both." He said as he shook his head out of amusement before calming down. "My lifestyle's finally gonna be back to normal starting next week." He said as he seemed to remember something. "Oh, if you wanna grab food sometime, I'm bored after school on Mondays and Fridays since there's no club meetings. I'm usually near the club room building so…" He was going to continue when the warning bell rang. "Hey, wasn't that the warning bell?"

"Yes it was." She said as she looked at Akihiko. "First order of the day! Run!"

He laughed as they both ran to the building. "Later! Good luck!"

"You as well!" She called back as they went their separate ways to get to the classroom.

xxxxx

Soon the end of the exam day finally came to a close as Minako sighed.

"Finally…" She said as she smiled. "Most of the questions were pretty easy." She hummed in content when a can of her favorite juice was on her desk and she looked up to see the sorry look of her brother.

"I'm so sorry for wasting our money on Tanaka's stuff without your permission." He said as he placed both hands in front of him in a prayer position. "So please take this can of kiwi juice as a token of how sorry I am."

Minako knew her brother wouldn't buy her canned juice unless he really was sorry for whatever he's done and sighed. "I forgive you, but you're still in the dog house." She said as she opened the can of juice and drank all of it, to show that she did mean that she forgave him. She sighed in content of the flavor as she smiled. "Let's go see Maiko."

Minato blinked as he agreed to it, since they did promise the little girl that they would play together and it was the final day of exams.

xxxxx

They headed over to the Naganaki shrine and found Maiko, looking at a bug before they called out and she got up to quickly run up to them.

"You came!" She said happily.

"Of course! We had a week long exam, and today's our last day." Minako said as she bent down to hug the girl. "We're sorry we took so long."

"That's fine!" Maiko said. "You have to do things that I'll have to do someday."

"Don't rush into it, it's not as great as some people make it sound like." Minato said as they played for a bit until Maiko mentioned that she was hungry.

"Can we go to Wild-Duck Burger?" Maiko asked.

"I'm getting kinda hungry as well." Minako said.

"Same," Minato said as he nodded "let's go then."

"Yay!" She said as she grabbed both their hands as they walked down the way to the fast food restaurant. "I can't wait! I wonder which toy they're giving out today…"

xxxxx

They made it to the fast food joint and the twins ordered for themselves and split for Maiko as they got their food and found a place to sit down, in which they started to enjoy their meal.

"This is yummy! I love going out to eat!" Maiko said happily. "'Cause Mom and Dad never argue when we go out to eat." She then pouted. "They never used to argue! You have to believe me…"

"We believe you." Minako said.

"But, why would they get a divorce?"

"Have you asked them?" She asked as Maiko nodded.

"I asked 'em already and they said it was a matter for adults only." She then started crying. "I don't want them to get a divorce! Do they really hate me that much? Divorce is dumb! I hate it!"

The twins looked at her as she cried loudly and Minako, who's sitting next to the girl, held her as she let her cry while Minato looked around with a look to tell people that this was none of their business and to leave as Maiko started to calm down.

"I'm sorry…" Maiko said as she sniffed. "I know it's embarrassing when I cry… I'll try not to cry anymore." She wiped away the tears from her face when Minako did that for her.

"You're a strong girl, Maiko-chan." Minako said as Maiko tried to smile.

"She's right." Minato said. "And don't worry, it's okay to cry."

Maiko nodded as Minako handed her a napkin to blow her nose and was looking a little better. "Um… I guess I should go. Thanks for playing with me today."

"It's getting a little late." Minato said. "Let us walk you home."

"Okay." Maiko said as they headed out of the fast food joint and led them to where she lived and they parted ways from there as the twins headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived, they saw everyone but Akihiko in the lounge.

"Is Senpai at the hospital?" Minako asked as Mitsuru looked up.

"He should be on his way by now." She said as the door opened. "And there he is."

Everyone looked to see Akihiko with a cheerful look on his face.

"Ah, you're back." He said.

"Not too long before you came in." Minato said with a smile.

"Senpai, I hear you're fully healed!" Yukari said.

"Congrats, man!" Junpei said.

"Great to hear!" Minato said as Minako smiled happily.

"I need to catch up on my training. I've slacked off for a whole month." Akihiko said.

"Shouldn't you take it easy, though?" Yukari said. "You don't wanna reinjure your arm."

"I've already wasted precious time." Akihiko said. "Besides, we found another Persona-user."

"We did!?" Junpei said as he smiled. "Sweet! Is it a girl?"

"Actually, it is. She's a junior who goes to our school." Akihiko said. "Yamagishi Fuuka… Do you guys know her?"

"Nope." The twins said in unison.

"Yamagishi…?" Yukari said as she seemed to remember the name. "Oh, that girl in 2-E. She gets sick a lot, from what I heard. I don't see her at school very often."

"She was at the same hospital as me." Akihiko said. "That's how we found out about her."

"That explains the roster." Minato said, remembering that time.

"But, maybe she's not cut out for battle." Akihiko said, sounding a bit disappointed. "I had an Envoker made for her, too…"

"What!? We're giving up on her already!?" Junpei said as he grinned. "I was gonna offer her some private lessons…"

"What kind of lessons?" Minako asked honestly as Minato covered her ears.

"Dammit Stupei!" He said. "Don't say such things around my sister!"

"Toto-nii!"

Yukari simply stared at Junpei as he was noticing the looks he was getting from the two.

"Wh-Why're you lookin' at me like that?" Junpei asked as he seemed to take the hint. "C'mon… I'm a guy. Whaddya expect!?"

"A bit of maturity for starters." Minato said as he removed his hands from his sister's head.

"That was so unnecessary…" Minako said as she rubbed her ears.

"Sorry."

"C'mon dude!" Junpei said. "Don't tell me you're not at least a bit curious?"

"I'm curious to know what kind of person she is and what her Persona can do, but as far as that, I have no interest in anything else."

"Dude, you're no fun."

"I treat every girl I meet like I would with my sister: respect, care, and loads of understanding."

Minako blushed in embarrassment as she left. "Now that's out of the way." She said as she looked at Akihiko. "Do you want to go to Tartarus tonight?"

"Did you even need to ask?" Akihiko said, sounding excited.

She smiled as she looked at everyone. "Up for it everyone?"

"Hell yeah!" Junpei said.

"I'm going if you want." Minato said.

"I need to get some steam off." Yukari said.

"Okay." She said as she looked at Mitsuru who smiled and nodded.

"I'll let all of you know when we're heading out." Mitsuru said as everyone were on standby.


	38. Episode 37: Recovered Member, Akihiko!

Ep. 37: Recovered Member, Akihiko!

-5/23-

As the Dark Hour arrived, the group entered Tartarus.

"I finally get to go with you guys." Akihiko said as he looked at the group, specifically the twins. "But, that doesn't mean you can slack off, alright?"

"Understood." Minako said.

"Just try to keep up, Senpai." Minato said as his foot was stomped on, but he kept the pain in.

"None of that, Brother Dear…" She said as she turned on her heel.

"You okay man?" Junpei asked as Minato nodded.

"I've… deserved worse…"

"What did you do?" Yukari asked as she was lost on what was going on.

"He spent money from that Tanaka show thing." Junpei said as Yukari sighed.

"You guys are idiots…" Yukari said as she followed Minako.

Akihiko sighed, feeling somewhat bad for the boys in the group, but not enough to cheer them up. "Just be thankful that she isn't letting you guys sit this one out."

"Y-Yeah…" The guys said as they Minato sighed as Akihiko went up to the two junior girls.

"Let's get going." Minato said as he and Junpei headed up to the rest of the group and Minako led them to the transport device and went up to the previous level they were on before going up, only to see that the whole area was covered in blood and a large staircase leading up.

xxxxx

"W-What is this?" Yukari asked.

"Looks like we're going to see some stronger, newer Shadows when we go up." Minato said as he looked at Akihiko. "Looks like you healed up at the right time, Senpai."

Akihiko grinned as excitement was clearly screaming from his eyes, as he adjusted his brass knuckle gloves. "That's great to hear."

"Okay everyone!" Minako said as she looked at everyone. "We all know the drill, stay together and watch each others' backs." With that they headed up the large staircase, which Mitsuru came into contact with them.

"_Something seems different…"_ She said.

"I'll say…" Akihiko said as he and everyone looked around.

"The whole décor of this place has changed to a dark gothic feel to it." Minato said as some of the members looked at him. "What? You're thinking it too."

"What are you? A metro male?" Junpei asked.

"It's a little thing called art history." Minako said.

"_At any rate, be careful."_ Mitsuru said.

"We will."

"Especially with Sissy leading now."

"Could someone hit him for me?"

Junpei did a swift punch on the others arm.

"The hell!?"

"Order accomplished!"

"Thanks Junpei." Minako said with a smile as she heard Mitsuru mention about trying to look up ahead.

"_Sorry, but I'm experiencing difficulties, possibly because of the distance… I need more time. You may proceed for now."_

"Will do Mitsuru-senpai." Minako said as she looked at everyone. "We don't know how many are on this floor, so keep alert at all times." With that said they moved forward. 'I should give back the title of leader back to Brother after this… I don't feel like I'm actually cutting out for it.' She thought as they came across a group of shadows that looked like the globs with the blue masks, but this time they had what looked like gold half-face masks from the brow to cheek instead of the full face ones. "Spread out! Surround them so that they don't escape!"

"Got it!" Akihiko said as they did surround the four Shadows.

"Think you can analyze it, Mitsuru-senpai?" Minato called out as he was ready to attack.

"_Give me a moment."_ She said.

"Frost Jack!" Minako called out as the snowman looking Persona came out and did an attack. "Bufu has effect, but it's not it's weakness!"

"Right!" Akihiko said as he summoned Polydeuces and used Zio on one. "Damn! Zio has effect but it's not weak against it!" He reported as one of the Shadows did a Zio attack on Yukari, which she was weak against.

"Yukari!" Minato called as he was attacked as well, but he wasn't weak against it.

"Toto-nii!"

"I'm okay!" He said as Mitsuru reported back that the Shadows, Frivolous Maya, was strong against Zio, but weak against Garu.

"I got this!" Junpei said as he attacked on with his sword and got rid of one. "Alright! One down!"

"Great!" Minato said as Yukari got up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine!" She said as she summoned Io and used Garu on all three of them, resulting an all out attack, ridding all of them. "Alright!"

"Great work everyone!" Minako said as they were going to continue when a bird-like Shadow holding a lantern was about attack her.

"Polydeuces! Zio!" Akihiko called out as the lightening attack hit the Shadow, destroying it in an instant, which two more seemed to appear and used the attack on them as well. "You okay, Leader?"

"Yeah, thanks Senpai." She said as she sighed. "That surprised me."

Akihiko patted her shoulder. "You're doing fine."

She blushed as she nodded. "Well… Let's get going…" She said as they continued to move, only to find some stairs and headed up, only to come face with two, humanoid Shadows of what one would describe as muscular.

"Yukari! You're going to be healing! Junpei, you make sure to Yukari doesn't get hit!"

"Got it!" The two said as Minako called out to her brother to make the first move.

"Omoikane! Zio!" Minato called as the attacked hit one of the Shadows and it seemed to have a major effect on it. "I think I found its weakness!" He said as Akihiko took down the next one before going all out on the two Shadows before they could gather themselves up and they repeated this process until both Shadows disappeared.

"That was too easy…" Junpei said with a sigh. "I thought the Shadows will be tougher up here."

"Be careful what you wish for." Minato said as they wandered around.

"How is everyone?" Minako asked as she looked to see that everyone still looked good.

"I wanna have more action." Junpei said.

"Oh, quit it, Junpei." Yukari said.

"I think Junpei should take on the next Shadow by himself." Minato said. "That might shut him up."

"I don't think that's a great idea." Akihiko said.

"Well, then, let's get going." She said as they wandered around until they found large, lion-like Shadows with what looks like wreaking balls attached to their chain collars. "Junpei! Toto-nii! Team up and hit one with physical attacks!"

"You got it!" Junpei said as he and Minato charged, swords drawn and attacked one of the lions, and did a significant number on it. "Sweet!"

"Yukari! Use a Garu attack on the other! Senpai! Use Polydeuces' physical attack after Yukari's attack!"

"Got it!" Both said as Yukari had Io use Garu, and then Polydeuces used Sonic Punch, which took out that one Shadow.

Minako then did her own attack, and missed the other as Minato finished that Shadow off before it could attack her.

"You okay, Sissy?"

"I'm fine." She said as she got up, only to notice something behind her brother and pushed him out of the way, getting hit by a fire attack, knocking her back to the ground, winded from the force of the attack.

"Minako!" Yukari cried out as the group looked to see two mage looking Shadows.

"Damn you!" Akihiko cursed as he summoned his Persona to use Sonic Punch to rid of them, along with Junpei's help when one missed.

"Sissy!" Minato called as he went up to his sister, who was coughing to get her lungs to remember to breathe, while weakly putting out the small flames on her school jacket that now had a huge burn spot on the front, if not a couple holes that it burned. "Sissy! Are you okay?" He asked as he patted her back to help her a little.

"I-I'm fine…" She said as she coughed. "Just need to breathe is all." She looked at her brother. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you when I pushed you did I?"

"Idiot! You're the one who got a fireball to the chest!" He said as he hugged his sister. "Don't scare me like that…"

Minako hugged her brother back before patting his shoulder. "I'm sorry." She said as Yukari came up.

"Are you okay, Minako? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"I'm fine…" She said as Minato helped her up.

"Oh! Your jacket!" Yukari said as she pointed out the damage on her clothes. "And you just got a new set of clothes too!"

"I might want to start wearing clothes that I don't like then…" She said, trying to keep things light.

"Do you want to stop for tonight?" Akihiko asked seriously. "It won't do anyone any good if you're hurt in anyway, physical or mental."

"I'm fine, really!" She said. "I can keep going."

Akihiko seemed worried though as he nodded. "If you say so, but if you do feel at all overwhelmed, don't hesitate to tell us. Understood?"

She nodded. "Understood." She said as she seemed to gain back some confidence. "Let's keep moving!"

"Strong sis you got there." Junpei said.

"Damn it Sissy… why did you have to do that…" Minato mumbled to himself.

"Because you're my brother." Minako said, making some look confused when she looked straight at her brother. "That's why I did what I did. You would do the same."

Minato blushed as he looked down at the ground in shame.

"Head up! That's not the brother I know!" She said with a laugh as he did look up, and she smiled, signaling a silent exchange as he sighed in defeat.

"Lost again…" Minato said as Minako smiled victoriously as she turned to face the front and led the way to the next set of stairs.

"I'll never get you guys…" Junpei said, clearly lost through the whole thing.

"You don't have a sister to worry about." Minato said with a sigh as they continued up.

xxxxx

As they reached the twentieth floor, Mitsuru announced that she sensed a strong Shadow five floors above them and for them to be careful.

"Looks like we have our objective." Minako said as she looked at Minato. "Right?"

"Looks like it." He said as they continued around the level, defeating a few Shadows until finding the stairs leading up to the next floor, where Mitsuru said that the Shadows on the floor had changed, and for them to be careful while exploring.

"Sounds like a challenge to me." Minato said.

Minako looked to see if everyone was really okay. She saw her brother was barely showing any signs of tiring, Junpei seemed like he'll pull through, and so does Yukari. She saw that Akihiko wasn't really showing signs of tiring, being the most rested out of all them, moving his hands now and then, as if his hands were restless for a fight after so long. Once she was done observing they continued through the next floors, Mitsuru giving them a heads up if there was something going on at the floor they were on or if the Shadows are acting strange, and even letting them know about the mysterious Shadow guardian on floor 25. They fought the Shadows of each level, even finding a rare gold Shadow, which was a coward of a Shadow as it quickly ran off.

Soon they cleared Floor 24 and decided to take a break as they talked over what they should do now.

"I think we should call this a night." Minako said as she saw everyone was getting to their limits. "We'll continue this another night."

"Yeah… these guys aren't going anywhere…" Minato agreed. "They're guardians there anyway." He sighed. "And I really don't want to repeat the close call like the last time we faced those guardians…"

"I am getting a bit tired." Yukari said.

"I'm bushed…" Junpei said.

"I think I'm ready to tap out as well." Akihiko said, massaging his shoulder as he did.

"You did great after a month's absence, Senpai. You should feel great about that." Minako said as Akihiko seemed to beam in pride as she stood back up. "Okay everyone, let's call this a night and we'll deal with this tomorrow night if everyone is up for it."

"Hell yeah!" Junpei said as they found the device to take all of them back to the entrance to meet up with Mitsuru.

"Ready to go?" Mitsuru asked as Minako nodded.

"All of us are a bit worn out now, and we couldn't possibly continue to where that strong energy you were talking about in this state."

"Good call. Well then let us return." She said as everyone headed back to the dorms and called it a night.


	39. Episode 38: Minako's Solo LeadinTartarus

Ep. 38: Minako's Solo Lead in Tartarus

Minato: Average, Confident, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Unique, Timid

-5/24-

The next morning, Minako found that her brother wasn't doing too great, but said that he would just sleep it off, but she insisted that he take some medicine and went down to grab some.

Minato took this opportunity to tune in on Tanaka show and ordered something.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Minako was looking through the kitchen to find the medicine when Akihiko came in.

"What are you doing?" He asked, taking note that she was still in her night wear and her hair was not in its usual pony tail as it fell passed her shoulders in a messy flow.

She looked up from her search and blushed as she saw that he was getting back from a run by the way his was wiping some sweat off of him. "I was looking for cold medicine. Toto-nii isn't feeling too good." She said, sounding a little guilty.

"Ah, I see." He said as he led her to the pantry and reached to the top most shelf to grab a white case with a red cross on it, and handed it to her. "This is where we mostly put in the medicines and first aid stuff."

"That's a tricky place to place it in." She said as she placed the case on the counter and opened it. "I hope the medicine isn't expired…"

"It shouldn't." Akihiko said as he went to the fridge to grab something from it. "Mitsuru is particular about that."

"Ah! Here it is!" She said as she picked up a couple pills. "Did you and Mitsuru-senpai get hurt a lot before we came in, Senpai?"

Akihiko chuckled as he opened a bottle that said 'protein shake' at the label. "Yeah, especially when I first started fighting those Shadows. I was in my last years of middle school when I started, and I get banged up a lot. But I had a lot of space to do that because we weren't able to go into Tartarus at the time."

"Wow!" She said, impressed that the other was doing this since middle school. "So Mitsuru-senpai really did have to keep track of the expiration dates on the medicines here in case you got hurt."

"Hey, I'm a lot better than I was before." He said as she giggled.

"I know. We did a lot last night, that's for sure." She sighed worriedly. "Though I don't think Brother will be up to it if he's sick. And I don't know if anyone else is sick as well…"

"Don't worry about it." Akihiko said. "They'll let you know when they come to you." He placed a hand on her head and messed it up a little more. "And you did great last night, so even if Minato isn't up to it, it doesn't mean we're short of a leader."

She blushed a nice shade of pink as she nodded. "T-Thank you, Senpai…" She said as she felt the hand off of her head and placed the first aid case back in the pantry. She then looked at the senior and bowed. "Thank you for your help." She straightened and smiled. "Take it easy a little. If we're going tonight, I don't want you to be winded so soon." This made the other laugh as he nodded.

"Will do. You do the same, Leader." He said as she left with the pills in hand and smiled. 'She's cuter with her hair down.' He thought as he shook his head. "Where did that come from?" He asked himself as he gulped down the rest of his shake.

xxxxx

With Minako, she helped her brother take the pills and quickly got dressed for the day when her cell went off and she answered it. "Moshi, moshi?"

"_Hello, it's me, Rio."_ Rio responded. _"Are you busy right now?"_

"I'm not actually."

"_Do you want to go somewhere today?"_

"That'll be great!" She said.

"_Great! I'll see you later. I'll be at the Chagall Café."_

"Okay! I'll be over in a bit. Later." She said as she hung up and started to head out.

xxxxx

At the Paulownia Mall, in the Chagall Café, the two girls were at the table, having a bit of cake and tea

"Oh, this cake's good." Rio said, sounding really happy. "Hey, Minako, you want some?"

"Okay." Minako said as she was offered a small bit of cake and agreed that it was good, doing the same for the other with her own slice of cake.

"That reminds me, you live in that dorm, right?" Rio asked as Minako nodded. "I heard Akihiko-senpai lives there, too. Some girl was whining about it not being fair." She laughed a bit. "What's so unfair about it? If she likes him that much, she should just go tell him how she feels."

"That is a good point." Minako said.

"Yeah, all that whining about him behind his back is so stupid." She said with a smile. "Is finding a boyfriend that important?" She then giggled. "Oh man… I'm starting to sound like a crazy old lady, huh?"

"Nope! Just sounding like a mature woman!" She said as both girls laughed and stayed in the café for a little while longer before they had to part ways and she headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When she went in, she saw everyone but her brother in the lounge area. "I'm back!"

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said. "Are you still up to going to Tartarus tonight? Your brother has yet set foot out of the room."

"Really?" She said as she looked at the rest. "How are you guys feeling?"

"Healthy as an ox." Akihiko said with a grin as he was fixing up his gloves he used last night.

"I'm ready to head out!" Junpei said, sounding like an excited kid.

"I don't mind going tonight." Yukari said. "But is your brother going to be okay?"

"I'm going to check on him now." She said as she headed up the stairs to find her brother, still passed out on the bed. She checked his temperature and noted that he was sounding better in his sleep and figured that he would be right as rain when he wakes up and headed down the stairs to tell them that he was doing fine and was just asleep, making Junpei laugh.

"Boy! That guy picked a good time to sleep the whole day away!"

"Okay, okay." Minako said as smiled. "Since it's clear that we're going to go tonight, be on stand-by until Mitsuru tells us to move out, or if something comes up that will cancel us going."

"Yes, Ko-tan!" Junpei said as everyone waited for Mitsuru to give them the okay to go.

xxxxx

When the Dark Hour arrived and they reached Tartarus, Minako was starting to have second thoughts about going through with this, but she took a deep breath as they reached the twenty-fourth floor and found the stairs to reach up to the next level.

"Ready everyone?"

"Hell yeah!" Junpei said as the others looked ready.

She nodded as they went up the stairs, Mitsuru telling them to be careful about this, and found three table-looking Shadows. 'Didn't Toto-nii tell me that these guys don't like ice attacks?' She thought as she gave the order to spread out as she summoned Frost Jack to use Bufu on it, which was its weakness and did this a couple more times on the other tables, giving them an opening to attack all out before they moved back when the Shadows gained back their footing.

"Junpei! Whatever you do don't use Agi on these guys!" She called out.

"Got it!" Junpei when he looked surprised. "Whoa watch out!"

She looked to see a medium size fireball was heading her way when Akihiko grabbed her and moved her out of the way just in time.

"You okay?"

"Just a little surprised, but fine!" She said as she saw the third one attacked Junpei, but missed as he moved quickly, using that momentum to use his double swords to hit the Shadow that tried to attack him.

Yukari knew she couldn't do anything with these Shadows as she moved out of the way from an attack.

Akihiko charged at the Shadow that attacked Minako, knocking it down to the ground.

Minako summoned Frost Jack once more and got the other two to be down as well. "Okay! Let's go all out!" She called out as everyone went in and gave it their all before all three Shadows disappeared.

"Alright!" Junpei cheered as the Shadows disappeared. "That was so easy!"

"It wasn't that bad." Yukari said. "Then again we rested this time instead of charging in after fighting so many floors."

"Wasn't much of a challenge." Akihiko said as he looked at Minako. "You did a great job."

She blushed as she giggled nervously. "I really didn't do much…"

"Aw! Don't be modest!" Junpei said. "You're too cute without doing that."

"He's right, except that last part." Yukari said. "You did really great."

She turned red as she covered her face. "Cut it out!" She said as she felt a hand on her head.

"What's with this? A shy leader?" Akihiko teased, earning a pout, making him laugh.

She sighed as she smiled. "Well, shall we proceed to the next floor or call it a night?"

"Up!" Junpei said, pointing up.

"I'm up for another few rounds." Yukari said.

"You're the leader, you tell me." Akihiko said, but his smile and the twinkle in his eyes tell her that he's ready for more.

"Okay! Let's continue up!" She said as everyone agreed.

xxxxx

They continued up to five more levels before calling it a night and headed back to the dorm, where Minato was waiting for them at the lounge.

"Hey man, how are you feeling?" Junpei said, sounding worn out, but knew the other probably wasn't happy about being left behind.

"A lot better." Minato said. "How was the guardian fight?"

"You're sister did a great job leading that fight and the fights after that one." Akihiko reported.

"I'm sorry Toto-nii… but you had to get rid of your cold somehow."

Minato chuckled. "And I feel a lot better, thanks." He said as he got up and patted her shoulder. "But now it's your turn to get some rest. Don't want you to be the one to end up sick."

She giggled as she nodded as everyone headed up the stairs to their rooms to rest up.


	40. Episode 39: Top Ten and Heavy Mood

Ep. 39: Top Ten and Heavy Mood

Minato: Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Unique, Timid

-5/25-

The next morning, the twins were heading towards the school when Yukari came up to them.

"Mornin'. You two are as punctual as always." She said. "Unlike Junpei… he looked like the world is about to end."

"Really?" Minato said, not at all surprised what he's going to hear.

"What happened?"

"Exam scores will be posted today, so…"

"Oh…" Minako said as the twins sighed.

"He said he's gonna beg for a higher score, like that's gonna work." Yukari said as she looked curious. "Oh, by the way… You guys remember how Akihiko-senpai was talking about that girl Fuuka…?" She asked as the twins nodded their heads. "I hear she's kinda weak… but that's just a rumor. I wonder what she's really like."

"I like to know too." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "If I know anything, is that if anyone says that a girl is weak, they're probably really damn strong in something."

"Why do you keep referring to me when you say things like that?" Minako asked as Yukari giggled.

"Well, either way, having another Persona-user can't be a bad thing!"

"Of course not." He said as the first bell rung. "Oops! Better start running." With that the trio ran to their classroom and sat through the day's lessons when lunchtime arrived when another student announced that the results were posted.

The twins looked for their names along with everyone and high-fived when they saw that they tied in the top ten category, not seeing everyone else looking at them.

"We should try and find Mitsuru-senpai afterschool." Minako said. "She did say she was going to give us a reward for getting such good results!"

"Yeah! Definitely!" Minato said as they were excited about their results that they didn't really hear Ms. Toriumi when she went over the exam to the rest of the class.

xxxxx

Afterschool arrived and the twins couldn't find Mitsuru anywhere and sighed.

"She's probably really busy with something." Minako reasoned. "We'll catch her tomorrow, she'll probably be tired by the time she gets to the dorm."

"Yeah, you're right." Minato agreed as they split off to go to their club practices.

With Minako, she found Rio, who seemed to be faraway at the moment. "Hey Rio, ready for practice?"

"Huh? Oh Minako. Yeah… it's club time… L-Let's go." Rio said as they headed to the locker room to change into their tennis uniforms.

'Is there something bothering her?' Minako thought as she saw Akihiko, who was surrounded by his fangirls once again.

xxxxx

Once they were out on the field, Minako asked Rio if there was something wrong.

"It's nothing…" Rio responded. "Nothing's wrong, but I can't get myself to move, and…" She looks like she was going to cry any second.

Minako placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look at her. "You can tell me, Rio, we're friends aren't we? Please tell me what's wrong…"

Rio seemed to give in as she nodded. "I was walking past the spare room a moment ago and I heard Kenji's voice… But… I heard Ms. Kanou, too…" She sighed. "They seemed to be getting along great." She was quiet for a moment. "Do… Do you think they're going to date each other?" She asked, looking confused and a bit angry. "It can't work out… They're a teacher and a student. There's no way." She then moved back way from Minako as she hit the cart with the rackets and balls in it. "He's such an idiot. He's just being toyed with! He'll just end up hurt in the end…" She fought back a sob. "Why… Why'd he choose someone like her…!? Why…?" Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"They don't really suit each other." Minako said but the other didn't seem to hear her.

"Why… Why wasn't it me?"

'I knew it.' Minako thought as she went up to Rio and put her in an embrace as Rio cried.

"I… didn't know I was such a nasty person. I've got these terrible feelings inside me… I hate myself…" She cried as she gripped the other girl like a lifeline. "What is wrong with me?"

Minako carefully rubbed soothing circles on the girl's back as she felt her shoulder being soaked through with tears. "It's because you like Kenji." She said carefully.

"Like…?" Rio said as she paused for a moment, thinking about this as she started to giggle weakly. "I get it… So that's why…" She continued to weep weakly. "I'm such an idiot… I didn't know… all this time. By the time I realized it, it was too late…" She chuckled weakly. "How stupid of me…"

"Don't say that… It's not over yet."

"No… It is." Rio said with a sigh as she took a small step back, wiping away some stray tears. "I know he likes older women, and he doesn't even think of me as a girl at all… I… hated that… all this time…" She was trying to hold back more tears.

"He likes older women now, but wait till he gets older himself." Minako said, trying to comfort her. "We're all still in high school, so there's still a lot of time for us to grow."

Rio managed to smile a little as she nodded. "Thanks…"

Minako could feel her bond getting stronger with Rio as she looked at her in the eye.

"Sorry we didn't much practice in today…" She said, looking tired. "I'm going to go home…" She then smiled a bit more. "I'll be able to smile tomorrow… Act like you don't know anything."

"I understand." Minako said with a nod. She saw the other girl off and headed towards the dorm.

xxx

With Minato, he was doing his track practice as he noticed that Kazushi hasn't come in at all yet. 'What's up this time?' He thought as Yuko came up to him.

"Minato-kun, I just got a text message from Kaz." She said, not looking happy. "It's for you, but he didn't know your address." She looked at her cell. "It says, 'Come to Iwatodai Station'. What is he thinking? He skipped practice today, too!"

'She's mad…' Minato thought as he said that he'll be over there and asked to leave practice early, which Yuko permitted, if he sends Kazushi a message from her, which he agreed to and left to the station.

xxxxx

When he got there, he found Kazushi, sitting on a bench as he ran up to him.

"H-Hey!? Minato!" Kazushi said as Minato stopped in front of him. "Wh-Why are you running?"

"Y-Yuko…" Minato managed to say as he panted.

"Y-Yuko was pissed off, huh? Since I missed practice." Kazushi said, understanding now. "I should've told you before, but… um… the results…"

Minato sat down next to him as he heard what the other had to say.

"Apparently, my hamstring is getting ripped apart… The doctor said if I keep it up… I won't be able to walk anymore…" He sighed. "He said I put too much strain on it during practice. How pathetic… Well, I just want to win…"

'That sounds really bad, but if he just takes it easy on his training…' Minato thought as he lightly punched Kazushi's arm. "Suck it up."

"Y-Yeah! That's what I was thinking!" Kazushi said, nodding in agreement. "Every minute, every second is critical! I don't have time to waste! I promised to be the number one athlete in Japan.

'Promised?' Minato thought as he asked. "Is it that important?"

"Well, it isn't just about me…" Kazushi said as he seems to be thinking. "My nephew got into an accident and his leg got messed up… He can't walk right now, but if he goes through rehab, he might be able to recover! He says it hurts too much, though, so he doesn't want to do it…"

"How old is your nephew?"

"He's only five. There are so many things he's never done…" Kazushi said with a sigh. "I made a deal with my nephew that – don't laugh, alright…"

"I won't."

"If I become number one in Japan, he'll go through rehab. So, I have to win this meet to make it to nationals."

"What about your knee?"

"I-I appreciate your concern… but… I can't worry about that now." He said, but he seems truly grateful. "Sorry for all the trouble I've caused you… especially the depressing conversations." He took a deep breath. "It's tough to keep it all inside. You were the only one I could talk to."

Minato could feel his bond with the other getting stronger as he placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "It's cool man, I'm glad that you trust me with this."

Kazushi smiled as he nodded before sighing. "Yuko seems to figure things out pretty quickly, so she might say something to you, but…" He looked at him in the eye "tell her to talk to me directly. I don't wanna put you in the middle of this, Minato."

"Okay, I'll do that." He said as he looked at the time. "I better get going. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah man. I just can't run or anything like that."

"Right." He said as he headed towards the dorm.

The twins met up on the way to the dorm and told each other what they've learned what happened to their friends, which resulted in the heavy mood.

xxxxx

"Where have you guys been?" Akihiko asked as the twins entered the dorm, a heavy cloud above them. "You guys okay?"

"Just one of those emotional roller coaster days." Minako said as she headed over to the kitchen where Junpei was and sat next to him, who was having his own heavy cloud above him.

Akihiko was a bit lost as Minato sat down on the couch across from him. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing that can change what happens from this point on." Minato said tiredly as he wanted to change the subject. "And what about you, Senpai? Is the boxing club happy to have you back?"

"Don't play that card with me." Akihiko said as he practically called the other out on the subject changing, but then looked back on his glove. "And yeah, they're really ecstatic when they heard I was coming back tomorrow."

"Cool." He said as he noticed that Mitsuru was missing. "Is Mitsuru-senpai busy with something?"

"Yeah, she is and she said she won't be here until late." Akihiko informed. "So, no Tartarus run tonight."

"After what you guys went through last night, I don't think anyone is up for it."

"Yeah, last time was a too close of a call." Akihiko agreed as he looked at Minako. "But you should've seen your sister, she was really taking the lead as if she was born to do so."

Minato raised a brow at the tone the senior used and looked at how the other looked at his sister, proud, trusting, and something else he couldn't name but can't help but feel a little protective of his sister. "Well, we are twins, it would be a little strange if neither of us has at least a bit of courage to take a leading role."

Akihiko chuckled as he looked back at his glove. "Yeah, I guess that's true." He said.

"Well, I guess an early night's sleep is what's needed." Minato said as he went over to claim his sister from the kitchen's small bar and led her up the steps. "See you in the morning Junpei." He said, earning a pitiful groan as a response. 'Must not be having a good day.' He thought as he continued up the steps with his sister.


	41. Episode40: The Dark CloudsareStillAround

Ep. 40: The Dark Clouds are Still Around

Minato: Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Unique, Ordinary

-5/26-

The next morning, the twins headed to school in better spirits than yesterday as Minako saw Junpei ahead of them and called him, making him turn, showing that he was still depressed as he was yesterday.

"S'uuup, dudes?" Junpei said as he sighed. "Hey, how'd you do on the exams…?"

"I'm satisfied." Minato said.

"Better than I thought." Minako said, making the other look even more depressed.

"Seriously…?" He said as he chuckled weakly. "Man, I'm a laughingstock…"

"What happened?" Minako asked.

"After the results were posted, I heard these two cute girls talking… They were sayin' I have a one-track mind…"

The twins sweat dropped when they heard that, but they can't help but feel somewhat sorry for their friend.

"Well," He said as he got his head up and was smiling. "I won't let it get to me!"

"That's the spirit." Minato said as he patted his back.

"Yeah! We might be getting another girl on our team anyways!" He said with a laugh as he ran off to the school building.

"Glad to see he has his priorities straightened…" Minato said dully as Minako giggled.

"Let him be, we have class to get to." She said as she ran.

"Hey! Wait up!" He said as they headed to their class.

xxxxx

Time seemed to flow by slowly as the school day finally ended to after school and the twins found Mitsuru, looking at the results with a satisfied smile before looking at them.

"I saw your exam results…" She said with a proud and satisfied look. "Good work you two." She reached down to her bag and took out something. "Here, this is from the Chairman… It's a reward for effectively balancing school and battle…" She gave them a set of Page Cards.

"Awesome." Minato said, remembering seeing them when he was a kid.

"We used to have these when we were little." Minako said, also remembering them. "Thank you so much!"

Mitsuru smiled as she nodded. "You two worked very hard, hard work deserves to be rewarded." She looked at her watch and nodded. "If you will excuse me, I have something I have to attend to. I'll be back in the dorm this evening."

"Okay, Senpai, see you later." The twins said in unison as they parted ways.

"So what are you going to do now, Sissy?" Minato asked.

"I'm going to hang out with Yukari. You?"

"Yo! Minato!" Kenji called out as he wrapped an arm around Minato's neck.

"Hey man…" He said simply, steadying his heart from that sudden motion.

"Hello Kenji-kun." Minako said with a smile.

"Oh hey Minako, what are you up to?"

"Just going to head out with Yukari." She said as she started to walk away. "Take care Bro!"

"Have fun."

"See ya!" Kenji said as he chuckled. "Yo! You hungry man?"

"Yep." He said as he was practically dragged out of the school grounds and into Wild-Duck Burger, where they ordered and sat down as Kenji started to talk about Ms. Kanou.

"Hey, Emiri is – oh, Ms. Kanou's first name is Emiri – anyway, Emiri is really popular with the guys. But, I kinda took her away from them, ya know, dude? Like, I made her my girl before they even had a chance. Emiri is a really strict teacher. But at home, she's a real sweetheart. She's always…'

'Good God… He just keeps talking about the teacher… I feel sorry for that Rio girl Sissy's friends with.' Minato thought as he continued to listen half-heartedly.

"Yeah, good-looking people are just attracted to one another." Kenji said with a bit of an off-hand smug tone. " It's like they're meant to be together."

"Oh, really?" Minato said dully, which Kenji took it the wrong way.

"Hey, what's wrong, dude? Why're you getting mad?" Kenji said as he seemed to realize something and look apologetic. "Sorry, man. I'll try to hang out with you more often, okay?"

'That's not what I meant, but…' Minato thought as he shook his head. "Oh, sorry, I just haven't been in the best of moods as of late. Too much studying and not enough sleep can do that." He said as he thought he was damn clever to come up with that.

"Yeah, you do seem a bit stressed out now that I look at you better." He said as he shrugged. "Ah, you're a pretty smart guy, I'm sure you'll bounce back." He said with a laugh. "Anyway… what about you? How are you and Yukari-san doing?"

"We're not like that." Minato said as Kenji didn't seem to pay attention.

"Don't deny it. Well, I wish you all the happiness in the world, dude."

"Thanks man."

"Hey, don't tell anyone about me and Emiri, okay?" Kenji whispered to him. "Teachers aren't allowed to date students. I'm trusting you, man."

Minato nodded as he felt his bond getting stronger with the other as he looked at his watch.

"Tch, look at the time… I haven't seen my favorite TV show in weeks…" He smiled. "Well, I guess that's because I've got something better going on in real life." He said as he started talking about Emiri again.

'God, please, if you're really up there, please give me a reason to end this now so I can go back home.' Minato thought as he got a text from his sister, asking where he was now and thanked God for hearing him out. "Sorry man, I have to go now."

"Oh, right, it's getting late isn't it?" Kenji said as he let him go and Minato was free to head over to the dorm.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, after parting with her brother and Kenji, she found Yukari waiting for her by the gates and they headed out to Paulownia Mall.

"Hey, whadday want to do now?" Yukari asked. "Karaoke?"

"Mommy!" Shrilled a kid. "Where are you!?"

Both girls looked over to see a little boy, standing all by himself while crying.

"M-Mom, Mommyyyyy! Where are you!?"

Both girls went up to him as Yukari bent down a bit to the boy's height.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Yukari asked. "Are you lost?"

The boy calmed down a little to be able to talk to Yukari. "M-Mommy told me to wait here…" He sobbed "and… and… she gave me money, but…" He sobbed again as he looked like he was ready to cry again. "B-But, she's not coming…" He started to bawl again.

"Hey, don't cry…" Yukari said softly and calmly. "You're okay. I'll stay here with you, alright?" She looked around as she saw the police station. "Hey, look! We can get help over there!" She said, sounding happy to give the child some kind of hope. "C'mon, follow me." She held out her hand for the boy to take, which he did. "The policeman will know what to do. He'll find your mom, so don't worry." She then looked at Minako, who nodded as they headed to the station together and told Officer Kurosawa about the situation and stayed until the child was able to contact his parents and they were free to go. "Phew, what a relief… I'm glad he was able to contact his parents." She looked angry. "What were they thinking, leaving that poor kid all alone!? It makes me so angry."

"Why would they do that?" Minako asked, seeming so confused.

"I don't know, and I hope Officer Kurosawa will give them a lesson on child abandonment!" Yukari said angrily as she sighed, calming down a bit as she looked a little down. "But… I guess my mom's no different."

"You did say you weren't close…" She said, remember from the last time they talked.

"Yeah… That's right. I told you before. Well, if you asked me what kind of parent she is, I'd say, 'a terrible one'." She sighed. "She wasn't always like that, though… After what happened to Dad, she totally changed…" She shrugged. "She's probably living with one of her boyfriends somewhere… Honestly I'd rather not know." She looked at Minako with a smile. "Hey, you know what'd be cool? Changing the subject!" But her face fell when Minako didn't seem convinced about doing that. "Um, look, you're the only one I've told this to, so please don't tell anybody else about it!"

"Okay…" She said as she felt her bond with the other getting a bit stronger.

"Sorry, but I'm not exactly in the mood for karaoke anymore…" Yukari said. "Let's go back."

"Yeah…" Minako said as she looked back at the police station where the boy is currently waiting for someone to pick him up.

"I'm gonna make a stop at the convenience store, so… I'll see you later."

"Yeah…" Minako said as she left the mall, walking alone and thinking to herself. 'I understand that parents aren't perfect… some don't like each other and part ways, some abandon, some don't pay attention or forget that they are parents… but… why?'

She reached to the shrine and sat down on the bench where the playground was at and sighed as she tried to remember the last happy memory she had of her parents, which only made her feel like crying. Then she heard a whine and looked to see a white dog with warm red eyes looking at her. "Hi…" She said as the dog's tail started to wag, making her smile and place her hand on the soft white head, scratching behind the ears. "I should really get going…" She said as she mustered her way up and petted the dog one more time. "Thank you… I'm feeling better now. You take care now, I think we'll meet again soon." And with that she made her way to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Where've you been?" Akihiko asked, only to see her looking down. "Hey, what's wrong?" This also caught Mitsuru's attention as the girl sat down on the couch next to Akihiko as she started to explain the child in the mall, leaving out everything that Yukari entrusted her to never utter.

"Why is it that there are parents out there that do that to their own children… I don't understand it…"

The seniors were at a lost, but could somewhat understand why this would trouble an orphaned girl who had good parents.

"That's a very good question." Mitsuru said after a moment of silence. "But there's no definite answer to give you."

"I didn't expect you to… I just can't help but keep thinking about it…" She said as she felt the familiar leather gloved hand on her head.

"You have a very kind heart, Minako-chan. A heart like that is a good thing, but is easily troubled." Akihiko said as that made her muster up a bit of a smile, agreeing with him silently.

"A blessed curse." Minako said as she chuckled a bit. "That's what Brother sometimes says." She seemed to realize something. "Oh, is Toto-nii back yet?"

"No, he has not returned." Mitsuru said.

"Huh, that's odd." She took out her cell as she sent him a text, only to get a response from him saying that he loves her in capital letters. "I wonder what situation he was in to reply in that way."

"I'm sure you'll find out once he gets in." Akihiko said as he rubbed her head, slightly messing her hair while doing so. "Now, get your homework done."

She giggled as she got up. "Will do. Oh! How was your club meet today? This is the first day back since the injury, right?"

"Yeah, and it went great." Akihiko said with a smile. "Thanks for asking." With that she told everyone good night and she headed up.

"Still thinking of asking if she's up for Tartarus?" Mitsuru asked as she was far from earshot.

"Maybe tomorrow." He said. "Right now she has studies to focus on."

Mitsuru grinned amusingly as she read her text book, writing some notes down when the door opened to reveal Minato. "Welcome back."

"Where've you been?"

"Hanging out with Kenji as he's suffering from chatterbox syndrome." Minato said with a sigh. "Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, but when he gets to talking about something he wouldn't stop bragging about, it would take divine forces for me to even say 'Hey, I have to go now'. Speaking of divine force, where's Sissy?"

"She just went up stairs to do her homework." Mitsuru informed.

"I think I'll join her. Night then." He said as he went up the stairs.

"Two days of them acting out of character…" Akihiko said as he shook his head. "Hope it doesn't last the whole week."

"And you should focus on college entry exams." Mitsuru said.

"You already finished yours I suppose?"

"Nope, I'm looking for possible entries." She said with a grin on her face.

"Oh! Mitsuru-senpai!" Minato said as he rushed down to her. "Do you have a triangular sword?"

"Hm? You're looking for a triangular sword?" Mitsuru asked as she seemed confused. "What are you talking about? Is this some sort of riddle?" She then thought about it. "Triangular sword… A triangle… Oh, do you mean a fencing epee?"

"Is that what they're called?"

"It's not exactly a triangular sword, but the blade's cross-section does resemble a triangle. I have a few in my room. I'll fetch one for you." She said as she left to retrieve one.

Minato was silent for a while before he looked at Akihiko. "Should I be worried that Mitsuru-senpai has fencing swords in her room?"

"Are you worried that your sister has her naginata in the room?"

"No…" He said as he nodded. "Question answered."

"Are you two doing okay?"

"Huh?"

"Yesterday it looked as though you guys were expecting the end of the world and today it seems you two are stressed out a bit more than usual."

"Really?" Minato said as he scratched his head. "Well… It's kinda hard to say… It's kinda personal."

Akihiko raised a brow as Mitsuru returned.

"Here you are." She said as she handed the fencing sword. "Do you plan on taking up fencing? If so, I can give you lessons once I have some spare time."

"Thanks, I might want to at least try it out once at least." Minato said as he headed up the stairs once again. "Night!"

The seniors stayed where they were before Mitsuru looked at Akihiko, who shrugged.

"You're guess is as good as mine."


	42. Episode 41: Bebe's Fashion Club

Ep. 41: Bebe's Fashion Club

Minato: Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Unique, Ordinary

-5/27-

The next day, classes went on as normal when they ended and the twins weren't in the mood to go to their athletics clubs. They were discussing what they should do when they came across a posted sign out of the home economics room, saying about fashion club and the days it meets.

"Sounds fun." Minako said as she can imagine making gifts for everyone. "We can make a lot of things for everyone!"

Minato wasn't too sure, but he figured it would at least give him some new insight as he agreed and they went in to find Bebe, working away at the sewing machine.

"Yatta, yes!" Bebe said excitedly. "Zis eez ze best sewing I 'ave done!"

The twins recognized him from the bookstore as Minako said hello, gaining his attention.

"Oh!? Konnichiwa, hello, Minako-sama! Minato-sama!"

'Sama?' The twins thought as they realized that maybe he didn't mean it like that.

"I 'aven't seen you since ze bookstore! You came! I am very 'appy!"

"Long time no see." Minato said.

"What are you doing?" Minako asked, curious of what he was sewing.

"I am learning ze art of sewing!" Bebe said proudly. "Zis eez tanoshii, very fun! Would you like to try?"

"Maybe I should try." Minako said. "It will definitely be useful in the future. Especially having such a troublesome brother."

"Hey now…"

"Honto!? Really!?"

Minato grinned as he figured he would try to tap in his artistic side. "Sure."

"Arigatou, thank you!" He said as he told them the days they meet and exceptions when they couldn't. "I was sad because I did not 'ave any tomodachi – friends – since I came to Nihon – Japan… But, now I am 'appy!"

The twins felt happy to hear this when they felt that they had made a bond with Bebe as he started to explain some of the things they would be working on before he noticed the time.

"Whoa! Look at ze time!" He said as he looked at them again. "Well zen, Minako-sama, Minato-sama, goodbye!" He then stopped them for a quick moment. "Oh, by ze way… I was wondering 'ow you bid farewell in Ninhongo – Japanese…"

"You say 'Mata ne' to say later to someone." Minato said.

"Wakarimashita, I understand! Mata ne!" Bebe said happily as they went their separate ways, the twins heading to the mall to head into the Velvet Room to turn in the fencing epee.

xxxxx

"This must be a fencing epee." Theodore said as Elizabeth nodded.

"A triangular sword…" Elizabeth as she focused it at a much dangerous angle the tip close to her eye to see the triangle blade, thus nearly giving the twins a heart attack. "Yes, this does meet the requirements that we had set."

"The epee was once used as the last sword in fencing matches." Theodore said, grinning proudly. "Fencers would wear white uniforms to that the blood from struck blows would be more visible."

'Really?' The twins thought as they would have to ask Mitsuru about that later.

Theodore chuckled. "Similarly, my clothing is blue in order to make me more relaxing to look at."

'Did he just flirt?' Minato thought as he was starting to feel uneasy as Theodore chuckled.

"I'm joking." He said as Minako giggled, not at all weirded out like her brother.

"Here is your reward." The two said as the twins were presented with bulletproof vests.

With simple goodbyes, the twins left the room and headed back to the dorm, where they saw the Chairman was there.

"I am a little disappointed about Fuuka-kun as well." The Chairman said as he was talking to Mitsuru. "It's quite difficult to find someone who has the potential." He then looked up to see the twins coming in. "Would you feel more assured if you had more team members?"

"Well, yes." Minato said as the two looked at them. "And Fuuka is a girl, so it's Fuuka-chan. And we don't even know about her Persona, she might be very helpful if we give her a chance."

"Ah, true, how mindless of me." The Chairman said with a bit of a laugh. "Well, thankfully, Akihiko-kun has rejoined the team."

"That's true." Minato said as he yawned. "Man I'm tired. I'm going to hit the sack."

"I'm going to say down here and study with Yukari."

"Kay." He said as he made his way up the stairs as his sister head over to the table where Yukari and Junpei were at, Yukari trying to get Junpei to understand a problem, only to end up arguing.

"What seems to be the problem?" Minako said as she calmed the two down as she looked over the problem that Yukari has been trying to get Junpei to understand, only for Minako to do a different method and Junpei understood it a little better.

"Please be my tutor!" Junpei said as he hugged her middle, since she was still standing while he was sitting. "You're so much nicer!"

"What the hell, Junpei! You perv!" Yukari said as the position did seem a little awkward.

"Okay, okay, I'll help you." Minako said, patting his head. "Now please let me go. We still have to cover the next problem."

Unknown to the trio, Akihiko, who was at the kitchen's bar, looked at the trio and was looking at specifically Minako and Junpei as Minako pointed out to one particular problem to Junpei before patting his back as he started to lose hope on solving it. He shook his head as he tried to focus on his own work.


	43. Episode 42: Minako's Date with Theodore

Ep. 42: Minako's Date with Theodore

Minato: Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-5/28-

The next morning the twins headed to the school when Junpei caught up to them.

"S'up, dudes!? So, waddya think?

"About what?" Minato asked, receiving a light bonk at the back of his head.

"About Yamagishi Fuuka, of course. I haven't given up hope that she'll join our team."

"Is that what you're excited about?" Minako asked.

"Oh, yeah… Of course you wouldn't be too interested in girls." He said with a chuckle as he smiled. "I know I've seen her before. She does look kinda weak, but it only makes me wanna protect her, ya know?"

"If that's all you have to say, can we go to class?" Minato said.

"Dude, why so cold?"

"I don't know her like you guys. I don't doubt that she might make a great addition to the team, but at the same time we can't get our hopes up."

"Ko-tan, please tell me that at least you have hope that Fuuka-chan can join us, right?"

"It's hard to say, Junpei." She said. "But I'm not going to rule out the possibility either."

"I knew I can count on you!" He said as he hugged her. "Please stay our leader and not your brother."

"You're an ass."

"Okay, okay! Can we please go to class?" She said as the trio ran for it.

xxxxx

The day went by like tree sap when the staff member that's usually in the nurse's office was in class, talking about magic before the day finally ended.

Once the school day was done, the twins talked about what they should do about their day and Minako said that she was going to take Theodore around Paulownia mall, which Minato nodded, saying he would have to take Elizabeth on their next date soon and wished her luck as he saw Yuko and asked her to hang out with him.

xxxxx

With Minako, she headed to the mall and into the Velvet Room, where she saw Theodore looking at the book that has her personas registered, smiling as if the personas were telling him a very good story when he noticed her come in. Igor wasn't really paying attention with his own book in hand.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. How may I help you?" He said with his usual smile.

"I'm here to fulfill one of your requests." She said as she pointed to the door. "You wanted a tour around Paulownia Mall, right?"

"Then lead the way." He said as he followed her out of the Velvet Room and into the alleyway, where he followed her to the mall area. "So this is the Paulownia Mall…" He was in slight awe as he looked around the area as he grinned confidently. "Indeed, it's exactly as I imagined."

Minako noticed a few people were staring, probably not used to seeing anyone like Theodore, but she just played it as if this was normal. 'It would be like showing a new student around the area, it shouldn't be too different.' She figured as she can see his eyes were glimmering with excitement, something she can easily notice from watching Junpei and Akihiko when they're going to fight Shadows. "Are you excited to be here?" She asked.

"Pshaw… I'm not that easily amused." He said, seeming to be caught off guard for a moment as he started to mumble to himself.

'Not trying to look as a tourist…' She thought as she found it a bit amusing that the other was acting as such.

"What is that over there?" He asked as he pointed to the water fountain. "An aqueous duct in a place like this? The dwellers of this world must get thirsty easily."

"I don't think that's it." She said as she saw the confused look on his profile. 'He never really been out and about has he?' She thought.

"I-I know it's true purpose, of course." He said, trying to cover up his earlier assumption. "Why… it's meant to wash one's hands!"

"That's not it." She said, feeling like a teacher with a young student as she saw that he was really lost now, and a bit uncomfortable. She took a coin out, making sure he was watching, closed her eyes and said "I wish…" and whispered quietly to the coin before flipping it into the water where she can see other coins there and saw that he was looking too, now understanding the fountain's few purposes.

He cleared his throat as he looked and found something else that caught his eye. "Hm..? And what, pray tell, is this facility here?" He said as he headed to the police station, mainly at the photographs on the billboard. "These photographs…" He looked at the many wanted posters posted up. "Most Wanted… Reward…?" He seemed thoughtful. "I see… So the concept of subjugation requests is not unknown here…"

"We don't kill them." She said as he looked at her.

"Ah? In that case, you must have to capture them alive…" He nodded. "Only a skilled hunter could accomplish it." He nodded triumphantly. "If there are hunters of such talent in this world as well, I may want to make a few requests of my own…"

"Huh?" Minako voiced, not sure if that was a good idea as he chuckled.

"But on second thought, perhaps not. I already have you, our finest guest, for that."

She blushed at that as he looked around and found something else that caught his eye.

"What's that?" He said as he headed over to the now closed club, Escapade. "This… Could this be the 'club' of rumor?"

"Rumor?" She questioned.

"Yes, I heard no end of it…" Theodore said. "'Dancers, dictated by the sway of one's inner passions… A subterranean garden of uninhibited spectacle'." He quoted. "Though this marks my first time seeing it in person." He then looked at her, seeming to be excited. "Well then, let us venture in…" He tried to open the door and looked surprised by it. "It's closed…!? This can't be…" He then seemed down about it. "It seems… I have no choice but to turn back…"

Minako felt bad that the other wasn't able to see the club, since it wasn't open until much later in the night and figured she would show him the arcade, and mentioned it.

"Ar… cade…?" He questioned. "A series of arches? A-All right, let us investigate."

She couldn't help but smile at how adorable he was acting as she led them to the said location, where she noticed him looking at the crane game that was placed in front of Game Panic.

"'Bird controlling game'…?" Theodore said as he looked at the prizes in the glass case. "The things inside this case… Those are birds? They look to my eye more like stuffed animals made of cloth. Is this, then, a simulator to practice catching real cranes?"

She was going to correct him on his thinking when he saw another fountain at the corner of the mall and followed him over there, where he seems a bit restless as he looked around as he took the glove off of his hand and stuck it into the water.

"It's eight degrees Celsius." He said.

"You can tell?" She said as she put her hand in, and it was cold.

"Of course I can." He said proudly as he retrieved his hand and placed the glove back on. "Shall we be on our way? I'd hate to keep you out for too late." He said as he looked around once more. "This world has its charms. I… would relish the chance to visit it again sometime." He then looked at her. "Thank you very much for today."

"It was no problem, I'm glad you had fun." She said as they headed back to the Velvet Room, where Theodore told her to wait for a moment as he talked to Igor, who gave him a pointed look and said something to Theodore, who seemed a bit shot down before coming back to her. "Everything okay?"

"I asked my master to install a fountain into the Velvet Room…" He said. "Unfortunately, he refused before I even finished asking the question. I'm currently negotiating with him to at least set up a 'crane catcher' machine."

She didn't know how to explain the game to him as she was rewarded and bid farewell and left the Velvet Room to head back to the school and into the nurse's office, where she saw that no students came in and saw Saori looking over some things before noticing her.

"Oh, hello Minako." Saori said with a gentle smile. "No one's come by today. Oh, that's right. Edogawa-san said that more medical supplies have come in. We should put them on the shelves. Could you help me out?"

"Of course!" She said.

"I'll bring them right away. If anyone comes in while I'm gone, assist them." She said as she seems to be enjoying herself as she turned and bumped into a female student that tried to come into the office. "Eek… Oh, I'm sorry."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry. Uh, Saori-san… Um…" The female student seems flustered.

"Me? What's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

"Well… um… C-Could I borrow your physics notes? The teacher erases the blackboard too fast for me to copy them down…"

"Oh, of course. I've been taking a lot of notes for physics, too… I'm not too good in that my class myself, so I need to pay attention."

"Oh, um… That's all right."

"I see. Give me one second." Saori said as she retrieved the notes from her bag and handed them to the girl.

"Oh, great. Thanks…" She said as she left the room, Saori seeing her off before looking back at Minako.

"She's my classmate."

"She's very polite to you." Minako said as Saori smiled.

"You noticed? We don't know each other all that well. But, it feels good to have people rely on me. So…" She smiled a bit sadly. "I've never gotten used to this school. You're a transfer student, but you seem to have grown accustomed to this place really quickly. I see you sometimes in the hall, and you always look like you're having fun."

"If you're there, you should've come talk to me."

"Hm… I thought other people would thing the wrong thing if we started getting along well…"

"That's just you, Saori…" Minako said with a smile as she felt the bond getting a little stronger.

Saori smiled as she looked thoughtful. "Um, what was I doing? Oh, I was going to get the supplies. Well then, I'll be right back." She said as she left the room to retrieve the supplies and both did their duties before they had to leave.

xxx

With Minato, he looked around the school to find Yuko and asked if she wants to hang out and they headed over to Wild-Duck Burger.

Yuko sighed as they sat down. "I'm mentally exhausted…" She said.

"What happened?" Minato asked.

"Well, nothing major. Maybe I exaggerated a bit…" She said as she seemed to cheer up a bit. "But seriously, I have been feeling kind of down lately…" She sighed. "Ekoda-san asked to speak with me. He wanted to know why I turned in a blank quiz. He asked me, 'Don't you have any motivation?' I answered honestly; I said, 'Not really'. Then, he got so pissed off! He even yelled at me about the length of my skirt!"

'That's off topic.' Minato thought.

"Who cares about Classic Literature anyway!? Besides, I didn't do anything wrong! Right, Minato-kun!?"

"I agree." He said.

"Exactly." Yuko said as she seemed happy. "Doesn't he realize we're only teenagers? Now's the time to enjoy life! Who cares about stories by a bunch of dead guys!? Maybe I should be a science major. Then, I wouldn't have to take Classic Literature… Wait! Then, I'd have to take Physics…" She groaned as he couldn't help but smile a little. "I'm gonna write down something on the quizzes from now on. I don't want him to reprimand me again. My reputation as an 'intellectual' would be ruined." She blushed a bit on that as he chuckle.

"That's true."

"That was a joke… Y-You're supposed to play along!" She said as she seemed embarrassed. "I didn't mean to trick you! Is my nose getting longer!? You're so gullible… You shouldn't believe everything people say."

"I was playing along…" He said, as she blushed even more as she laughed it off.

"Anyway… Ekoda-san asked me to write a three page essay, reflecting on my performance in his class…" She sighed. "Three pages!? Is he serious!? What does he expect me to say!? But I guess I have no choice, if I want to graduate. Otherwise, I'll have to repeat his class." She smiled. "I can't wait to celebrate graduation with everyone, especially the team… and you too, Minato-kun." She giggled. "Or, am I getting ahead myself?"

Minato chuckled as he felt his bond with her getting a little stronger.

"I have to go work on my essay. Bye-bye."

"Good luck on it. See you around school." He said as he left the fast food place and headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

The twins met up sometime before the dorm and had a race to who would reach the dorm first, which was Minako as she entered the lounge first followed by Minato as Mitsuru welcomed them back before reading the paper.

"Hm… That's strange…"

"What's strange, Mitsuru-senpai?" Minako asked as she went up to the senior.

"The number of victims seems to be on the rise again… Apparently, the decline was only temporary."

"Huh?" Yukari said from the table as she turned around to face the others. "Does that mean that no matter how many Shadows we defeat, more will just keep coming?" She sighed. "If that's the case, then what's the point of fighting?"

"If we do nothing, then everyone will eventually join The Lost." Mitsuru said. "Our efforts have prevented the crisis from escalating."

"I guess you're right." Yukari said. "Ya know, it's kinda creepy when you think about it. If we couldn't use our Personas, then the whole city would be crawling with zombies…"

The twins visualized the whole city covered in the victims and were creeped out when they thought of their friends among them. 'That's going to give me nightmares…' They thought as they told everyone that they were going to do their homework and headed up the stairs.


	44. Episode 43: Phone Charms and Sweets

Ep. 43: Phone Charms and Sweets

Minako: Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-5/29-

The next morning, the twins were making their way towards the school when they overheard a conversation.

"I heard from a younger guy in my club yesterday that the tenth graders are teasing someone."

"What, like bullying him? Poor kid… What's his name?"

"I don't know… All I heard is that it's really a problem. I thought our school was peaceful too, but I guess it's not so much."

The first bell rung as the twins made a run for it.

"Bullying?" Minako said as she seemed empathetic towards the victim.

"We don't know who, so don't try to worry about it too much, okay?" Minato said as they reached their classroom, which Mr. Edogawa was taking over Classic Literature for the day talking about meditation.

xxxxx

When lunchtime rolled around Minako volunteered to get the drinks as Bebe came up.

"Oh, zere you are! I 'ave been looking for you!" He said as she was also happy to see him.

"Hello, Bebe-kun." She said as he seemed really happy to hear that.

"Minako-sama, you and your brother are coming to ze Fashion Club, right?"

"I was thinking about it, but if something else comes up, don't be sad, pretty please."

"Of course I understand!" Bebe said with a laugh. "I can tell you're not ze kind of person who would hurt others without reason."

"Thanks Bebe, I'll see you around."

"I'll be waiting then, mata ne!"

She smiled as she watched him go and wondered if she should go to the fashion club today as she got the drinks.

xxxxx

The time was after school when Yukari was heading out of her archery club, sighing and looking a bit worn out. "What a workout… I've gotta teach those freshmen how to clean up properly." She said as she heard a couple of female voices, laughing like hyenas.

"So, I pretended to take a picture with my cell phone." Said a brunette girl with tan skin. "She freaked out and started crying. Like it was the end of the world. You should've seen the look on her face. It was priceless."

"Oh my gawd!" Said the girl's friend, sounding just as amused as the other.

"I've never laughed so hard in all my life." The brunette said as both girls laughed.

"They're making fun of someone?" Yukari said as she was disgusted by listening to them. "Don't they have anything better to do?"

"Huh?" The brunette's friend said as she looked around, somewhat spooked. "Where's that voice coming from?"

"What voice? I don't hear anything." Said the Brunette, but the other girl seemed scared. "What's wrong, Maki?" When the other didn't respond, she said the girl's name louder, which seemed to get the girl's attention.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay!?"

"Sorry… What were we talking about?" With that they left the hallway.

"About time they left." Yukari said. "I can't stand girls like that…"

xxxxx

Back inside the building, Minako convinced Minato to coming with her to the fashion club and found Bebe working away on the sewing machine again.

"Ah! Welcome back, Minako-sama, Minato-sama!"

"Hey there Bebe-kun. What are we making today?" Minako asked, excited to start.

"Why don't' you two try making something kantan, simple?" Bebe said as he seemed excited. " 'Ow about zis? I, ze master, shall teach you." He pointed out a how-to guide for making a cute Japanese-style phone strap.

"I guess it can be a gift for some of my female friends…" Minato said, finding a lot of cute phone straps that he could picture giving to various girls he knows. 'What does that label me as?' He thought as Minako was more than excited to start as Bebe helped them.

"Line up zis side and zat side, zen sew, sew, sew!" Bebe cheered as they worked on their phone strap charms. "Sew on ze cord… et voila! Ze color, it is suteki, beautiful! Good job, Minako-sama, and you did splendidly, Minato-sama!"

The twins were very happy to see that their phone straps turned out great. Minato's was of a little gray cat with brown bead eyes, since brown was an underappreciated color in his opinion, and Minako's was of a tan cat with a brown spot on its left side and brown eyes as well.

"Today, our work eez over—owari!" Bebe said happily. "Let's go to ze Sweet Shop, Minako-sama, Minato-sama…" He looked happy as he said this. "Zis is my first time going, so will you teach me?"

"Sure!" Minako said before her brother could put a word in, but he didn't argue either as he was debating who he should give the first phone charm to.

"Ohhh! You are ze best! Thank you, arigatou!" He said excitedly. "Well zen, shall we go? We'll go togezer, my tomodachi! My friends!" With that they headed out of the room and made their way to Iwatodai strip mall, where they found the sweet shop.

xxxxx

The twins had a great time with Bebe as they ate some cake, even Minato wasn't complaining as he seemed to radiate while eating his favorite flavor of cake. After they were done, they headed out, feeling satisfied.

"Oishii! Zat dessert was delicious!" Bebe said happily. "I am so 'appy, ureshii! I love ze culture of Nihon! Japan eez sugoi, amazing!"

"It sure is!" Minako said.

"Only one in the world." Minato agreed.

"Hai! Hai! Yes! Yes! Japan's culture eez number one, ichiban! I wish I was born 'ere. I want to learn everything about Nihon and become Japanese!" He looked at the two and bowed. "Zank you for bringing me 'ere, Minako-sama, Minato-sama. Arigatou! I 'ave an aunt who lives back 'ome. She 'as been 'elping me…" His excited features soften to that of gratefulness. "I must tell 'er zat I 'ave made great friends! Tomodachi!"

The twins felt very fortunate as they felt their bond with Bebe becoming just a bit stronger as he noticed the time.

"Ohh, look at ze time! I would like to ask you more about Nihon. I'll talk to you later! Mata ne!"

"Mata ne!" The twins said as they saw him off before they headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said without looking up from the paper.

"Where have you two been?" Akihiko asked as he looked up from his repairing of his normal boxing glove.

Minako spared no time as she talked about what she and her brother did after school and showed him the charm she made, which he commented that it was nicely done and that whoever receives it should be happy to have it, which made her even happier to hear him say that. "But I think I'm going to keep this one though." She said. "As a reminder of today's events."

Akihiko chuckled at her antics as he nodded. "You do that. I'm sure the next time you make a charm, you have more idea of the person you want to give it to."

"Exactly!" She said.

"Please don't give her ideas. What if she makes one for a guy?" Minato said as his sister glared at him, making Akihiko laugh.

"True, but Minako-chan can easily floor the poor bastard if he does anything. If not, he has us guys to put him to his grave."

"So true." Minato said as Minako blushed and sighed.

"You guys…"

Mitsuru smiled in amusement as the twins mentioned about doing homework as they joined Yukari at the table, only to hear the mentioned girl squeal at the charms.

"They're so cute! You actually made them?"

"Toto-nii and I did!"

"I never expected a guy to make something this cute."

"Don't judge me." Minato said with a blush, making Yukari giggle.

"Are you blushing? That's just so adorable!"

"C-Cut it out, Yukari-chan!" Minato said as he looked for his sister for help, only to see she was giggling. "Help your big brother here! Sissy!"

"They're active tonight." Akihiko said in amusement as Mitsuru nodded as both watched the comedy drama of the juniors at the table.


	45. Episode 44: A New Rumor

Ep. 44: A New Rumor

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-5/30-

The next morning the twins were walking to school when they overheard a conversation.

"Hey, did you hear? That eleventh grader…"

"Oh, yeah! The one who was lying on the ground this morning, right? I hope she just ran away from home… But I feel this is the start of something big."

"Yeah… There might be reporters and camera crews and stuff." The gossiping student said as she sighed. "I don't want to deal with it." Then the warning bell rung as the two students ran on ahead.

"I haven't heard anything of that sort." Minako said.

"We just got here. Besides, it's probably a rumor." Minato said as they rushed to their classroom.

xxxxx

When they arrived into class, they heard a classmate mentioned something about the girl in 2-E.

"Yeah, they haven't got a clue…" Said another student.

"Isn't that bizarre!?"

"Man, can you believe these people…?" Junpei said as the twins headed up to him.

"They're sure active parrots today." Minato said.

"Did you hear the details?"

"About what?" Minako asked.

"Well, a girl from 2-E went missing last night." Junpei explained. "This morning, they found her lying on the ground in front of the school gate!"

"Is she okay?" Minako asked as Junpei shrugged.

"Nobody knows what happened, and supposedly, she's still unconscious."

"Morning." Yukari said as she entered the classroom.

"Yo, Yuka-tan!" Junpei said as he grinned. "This is a tough case, even for Iori Junpei, Ace Detective."

"Ace Detective?" Yukari questioned. "Are you stupid or something?" She looked at him and pointedly said "More like Stupei, Ace Defective."

"Hey! I resent that." Junpei said as he let it go. "Anyway, where've you been?"

"I was talking to the teacher." Yukari explained. "That girl they found… I saw her yesterday, on my way back from practice. She seemed okay then…"

"Whoa…" Junpei said as the twins were curious.

"That's weird." Minato said.

"You're telling me, that's really strange." Junpei said as the teacher came in and told everyone to settle down and get to their seats.

xxxxx

When classes ended, the twins headed out to the shrine to find Maiko, which the little girl seemed really happy to see them.

"Minako! Minato!" Maiko called out as she hugged Minako. "I missed you!"

"Sorry for making you wait." Minako said as Minato placed his hand on the girl's head.

"What do you want to play today?" Minato asked, feeling a bit nostalgic.

"Oh! Hey. Have you seen Striped Shirt?" Maiko asked, earning confused looks on the twins' faces. "We were playing tag, but…" She looked around. "It's not fun if I can't find him." She then seemed to have notice something behind them. "Hey, Striped Shirt!"

The twins turned to look at a tall, thin, and pale young man wearing a striped shirt.

"You don't' look so good… Are you sick?" Maiko asked curiously.

"Kinda, yeah. I'm surprised you could tell." He said, which seemed to put a damper on the little girl's mood.

"Huh? S-So, you are sick?" She said as he managed to laugh a bit.

"I'm kidding. You're so easy, Maiko."

"No fair! I'm an innocent girl, so I actually believed you!" Maiko said as the twins knew the real reason.

'He's definitely not looking too good.' Minato thought. 'But he's a tough guy despite how weak he looks.' He and his sister watched as Maiko ran to the slide before both of them looked at the thin young man.

"And you are?"

"We're Maiko's friends." Minako said. "I'm Minako and this is my brother, Minato."

"Hey." Minato said.

"So you're the twins she was talking about. I wondered what you two were like…" He said. "Are you 'too old' to play with kids, or are you still young at heart?" He asked as Maiko called out from the top of the slide.

"Hey, I'm hungry! I want takoyaki! Takoyaki! You can eat with us too, Striped Shirt!"

"Nah, I'm okay, thanks." He said as he looked at the two. "I'll see you guys around." He then walked off before Maiko can reach the twins.

"He's gone…"

"You know him, Maiko-chan?" Minako asked as the girl nodded.

"I usually see him around the shrine on Sundays." Maiko explained. "I see him on the way to cram school, too."

"I see." Minato said as he smiled. "Still hungry?"

"Yay! It's takoyaki time!" She cheered as they headed to Iwatodai strip mall, and ordered takoyaki at Octopia, where they were having their takoyaki. "It's so hot I might burn up!"

"Then you have to blow on it to cool it down a bit." Minato said with a chuckle.

Maiko laughed. "I remember one time Dad burned his mouth on this takoyaki! 'Cause I put too many in his mouth at once. He was like, 'Fungaaaaah!'"

The twins could easily see the poor man having a bunch of hot takoyaki in his mouth and running around to get some water, when they noticed that Maiko fell silent.

"Dad doesn't spend much time at home anymore these days. But, I have a birthday soon." She looked up at the two. "Do you think he'll come home for my birthday?"

Minato didn't know how to respond to this as Minako smiled and placed a hand on the girl's head.

"Don't worry, he'll be there." She said, sounding sure.

"Y-You really think so!?" Maiko asked, looking happy and hopeful. "I mean, I know Mom will buy me presents, but still… She hasn't asked me what I want, yet."

Minato patted her head. "Isn't that good though? That means she's going to surprise you."

"Really? A surprise?" She said, her eyes lighting up before falling silent again. "If they really loved me, then they wouldn't get a divorce." She reached for both the twins' hands. "You two are the only ones who still plays with me, you know."

The twins held onto the girl's hands as they felt their bond with her get a little stronger.

Maiko managed a smile as she looked at them. "Today's laundry day, so I'd better get home soon!" She giggled. "If I don't do laundry, the house will be a real big mess!" She waved at them. "See ya!"

"See you around!" The twins said as they watched her run off.

"Strong girl." Minato said.

"Yeah…" Minako said as she sighed. "Do you think her parents know how much pain she's in because of this?"

"Hard to say, since we don't know them." Minato said as he got up. "Let's go home Sissy."

Minako smiled as she nodded and they headed towards the dorm.

xxxxx

When they entered to the lounge, Yukari was about to head up when they came in. "Oh hey…" She said as the twins head up to her. "Did you hear the rumor going around school?"

"Only the ones we heard when you were with us at school." Minato said.

"Well, people can be so immature, sometimes. I mean, it's a just a ghost story."

"Ghost story?" Minako said, looking a bit confused.

"Oh, the accidents that's been happening lately."

"Oh, that's what you meant." Minato said.

"Yeah… Anyway, I'm not feeling very well, so I won't be able to go to Tartarus tonight. Sorry."

"Not a problem." Minato said.

"If you're not feeling well, there's no point in going." Minako said. "Each member of the team as to be at their best or we'll be in trouble. And you're pretty much our healer so that's more of a risk to all of us if you're not at your top best shape."

"Yeah, thanks Minako." Yukari said with a smile. "I'll probably just watch a little TV and then go to bed early."

"Take it easy Yukari." Minato said as he watched Yukari go up the stairs before looking around the lounge, only to see that Mitsuru wasn't in either and saw that the Chairman was there as well, talking to Akihiko. "Oh, hey Ikutsuki-san."

"Hello, Minato-kun, how are things?"

"Good." Minato looked up the stairs and back to the man. "Did something happen with Yukari? She seems fine to me."

"Toto-nii…"

The Chairman laughed. "Actually, she might have a sixth sense towards Shadows. It's quite common to those who have awaken to their power for some time. She's probably feeling a bit overwhelmed."

"Oh, that makes since."

"Not like we're able to go anyway." Akihiko said. "Mitsuru isn't here."

"I'm sure we'll be able to go soon, right Sissy?" Minato said. "Since you are still the leader here."

"Oh! Right…" She said with a blush. "Yeah, once Yukari isn't overwhelmed and Mitsuru is here."

"How are your studies going along?" The Chairman asked.

"Those two tied in the results from the mid-terms." Akihiko said with a smile. "If they keep this up they'll be in the top five next time."

"Sissy aims for it, that's for sure." Minato said. "And as her brother I have to keep up. Can't have my little sister have the spotlight all to herself."

"Hey!" She said as she playfully slapped his arm, causing the other two to laugh at their sibling antics.

"Well you better start on that now, because I've noticed that she's been studying more than you."

"That's cause she's helping Junpei." Minato said as he looked around. "Where is he anyway?"

"Up in his room. He said he was tired and went up." Akihiko filled in.

"That's odd, even for him." Minato said as he shook his head. "Oh well, maybe tomorrow all will be right in the world. Good night." He started to head up.

"Good night, Ikutsuki-san. Good night, Senpai. Sleep well." Minako said as she followed her brother up the stairs.

The Chairman chuckled as he shook his head. "Those two are quite the characters, aren't they?"

"Yep, not a bad thing though." Akihiko agreed as he looked at the paper.

"I bet all the guys at school are after Minako-chan. She seems a lot cuter the last time I saw her."

Akihiko looked at the Chairman, a bit defensive. "Yeah… even some of the senior class are talking about her…" He said, sounding like he had smelled something foul.

The Chairman picked it up as he changed the subject. "A-And of course Minato-kun is starting to become a looker himself. I bet there are a few girls having their eyes on him. You might have a rival for a girl's attention."

"Why would that bother me?" Akihiko asked. "He can have them." He looked back at the paper.


	46. Episode 45: Normal Outing

Ep. 45: Normal Outing

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-5/31-

The next morning was the day off when both their phones going off. Both reached for their cells and answered them.

"Moshi, moshi…" Minako answered as she heard Junpei's voice. "Oh hey, Junpei, what's up? Hang out? Sure, I'll go. Okay, see you at the lounge in a few." She said as she got up to get dressed.

"Moshi, moshi…" Minato answered as he heard Chihiro's voice. "Hey, Chihiro-chan, what's going on? Hang out? Okay… The Book On? Sure, I'll see you there. Later." He said as he closed his cell and looked up to see his sister brushing her teeth at the sink that came with the room. "Going to hang out with Junpei?"

"Yep! You?" She said as she spat out the foam mixed saliva as she brushed her hair.

"I'm going to Book On with Chihiro today. You have fun."

"You as well." She said as she did her hair up and placed her clips in. "See you later!"

"Later!" He called out as she left the room.

xxxxx

Minako went down to the lounge to see Junpei talking to Akihiko and Mitsuru before looking up at her and waved at her.

"Hey, Ko-tan! Ready to go?"

"Yep!" She said as she waved to the seniors and left with Junpei.

"At least Junpei has something to keep him busy." Mitsuru said as she looked up at Akihiko, who stared out at the window. "Akihiko? Everything alright?"

"Hm? Yeah… Everything is okay." He said as he got up. "I'm going for a walk."

Mitsuru raised a brow as she sighed. "Are you still trying to get him to join again?" She asked as he stopped. "It's been two years…"

Akihiko didn't answer as he left the dorm, about the time Minato came down.

"Where's Senpai going?"

"Around." Mitsuru said simply as she opened her text book. "Heading out as well?"

"Yeah, I'll see you later. Want me to bring anything back."

Mitsuru chuckled. "Nothing comes to mind. Enjoy your day."

"Okay, see you later." Minato said as he left the dorm.

xxxxx

With Minako, she and Junpei headed to the Beef Bowl Shop where she had a good time with him as they left the shop, belly full of beef.

"Ahh, that was good…" Junpei said as he patted his stomach. "Food in my belly and a smile on my face!"

She giggled as she can agree with him.

"The best way to eat a beef bowl's gotta be with having it with extra sauce and extra onions! They work so well with the steaming rice… Man, there's definitely an art to a good beef bowl." He continued to talk passionately about beef bowls when the carefree atmosphere turned solemn. "When I was bummed out or annoyed back in the day, I used to go eat beef bowls by myself a lot. On days like that, I'd go all out and add an egg, tons of ginger… Oh, I always asked for extra large, too. I'd down all of it at once."

She smiled and giggled. "I wonder if there's a beef bowl out there that can trump you."

Junpei laughed. "There's no beef bowl in the world that can match against my stomach!" He said as this made her laugh before he looked a bit awkward as she calmed down. "Uhh, that reminds me… Sorry I brought up some weird stuff last time." He looked down at the ground. "All that stuff about parents and things… I kinda hope you're not worried…"

"Not at all…" Minako said with a small smile.

"Oh, seriously? That's good." He said as he looked up. "I mean, I felt bad that I might've made you worry." He then chuckled. "Anyways, we just had some great beef bowls, so let's stop talking about it. Yeah." He laughed as she nodded as they made their way back to the dorm.

"Hey, Junpei." She said when they were halfway there. "Remember when you told me to come to you when I needed to talk about something?"

"Yeah? Got something for me?" He asked as she shook her head.

"No, I just want to let you know that you can do the same with me." She said with a smile. "I don't mind hearing what troubles you."

"Really? Wouldn't that just make you stressed out? I mean, you got a lot of other things on your plate as they are."

"I don't have that much." She said with a laugh. "Besides, it's my way of thanking you for being such a great guy, no matter what Yukari says about you."

Junpei blushed as he laughed. "I scratch your back and you scratch mine, wasn't that a saying somewhere?"

"Yep!" She said with a laugh.

"Man, I'm so glad you're my best friend on the female side. That's rare for a guy, ya know?"

"I bet." She said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"So? Have you still thought about going after Akihiko-san's heart?"

"Junpei!" She said as she blushed horribly.

"You're turning red! That means you have thought about it!"

"I-I-I…" She didn't know what to say as she looked down at the ground. "I kinda thought about it from time to time… But what should I do?"

Junpei smiled as he patted her head. "Don't worry! Let me come up with a plan that will work for Akihiko-san, and I'll tell you how to go about it, but give it a bit of your own flare to it, of course."

She face palmed at this, making him laugh as they reached the dorm. "If I die of embarrassment, I expect you to pay for the funeral."

"Gotcha, gotcha!" He said as they entered the dorm, his arm still over her shoulder. "Hey everyone!"

"Where've you been?" Akihiko asked as he looked surprised at the position the two were in.

"We were at the Beef Bowl and had a great time!" Junpei said as he let his arm drop and sat down on the couch. "What about you, Senpai? Anything exciting while we were gone?"

"Nothing much…" Akihiko said as Minako joined them and talked about the day, leaving out the personal stuff.

xxx

Meanwhile, after Minato left the dorm, he headed to Book On where he found Chihiro there and they entered the store and had a good time in there as they came out, helping her carry the bags with some books she purchased.

"Sorry to make you wait so long…" Chihiro said. "Once I start reading, I can't stop." She looked at the book in her arm, the first volume of the series that were now in the bag to read later, but she looked guilty. "This was the only place I could think of where it doesn't cost much and we can relax." She adverted her gaze. "But, maybe this place wasn't such a good idea. There's not much point in getting together if all we're going to do is read, right?"

"It's fun, actually." Minato said, making her look up and smile.

"I-I'm glad to hear that… I thought I was the only one." She said as she seemed to make up her mind. "But from now on, I'm going to come here alone. When I'm with you, I want to have time to talk." She blushed as she said this.

"Sounds good to me." Minato said as he looked at the time. "Wow, it's already this late?" He chuckled. "Time flies when you're having fun."

Chihiro giggled. "That's the saying." She said as she pointed to the bag he was holding. "I can take those home with me."

"Mind if I walk you home? Even at this hour of the day, a girl walking alone isn't the best idea."

"Uh… y-yes…" She said as he escorted her home, said good night, and he headed back to the dorm, where he was greeted by Mitsuru.

"Yo man!" Junpei said. "How's it goin'?"

"Welcome back."

"Okay." Minato said. "Hey Sissy. Had a good time?" He asked, earning a nod and noticed Yukari at the kitchen bar and head up to her. "Everything okay?"

"Oh, Minato-kun." She said as she shook her head. "I found out that the victim was that girl who was bullying…"

"Bullying? Like the rumors said?"

"Yeah… It may just be a coincidence, but something doesn't seem right about it." She looked up at him. "What do you think?"

"Now that you said that, it doesn't seem right, even if it was just coincidence."

"Hey… Don't scare me like that…" Yukari said as she seemed a bit scared.

"But those rumors do spread fast, especially this one." Junpei said. "Everyone in school knows about it, and soon everyone in town will too."

"The only way to kill the rumor is to get rid of its source." Minato said. "But since we don't know the source, we can only keep our ears open."

Minako nodded in agreement as she noticed Mitsuru working something behind the counter and looked at Akihiko. "What's Mitsuru-senpai doing?"

"You know about the computer behind the counter, right?" Akihiko asked as she nodded. "The school makes us send them updates on how things are going here at the dorm."

"Because we don't have a dorm mother or something like that?" Minako asked.

"And maybe because it's also co-ed." Minato added as Akihiko nodded.

"Exactly, and that's what Mitsuru's doing right now."

"And done with for the time being." Mitsuru said as she joined them.

"Hey, Sissy…" Minato said as he rested his head on top of his sister's. "Let's go to Tartarus."

"Huh? What brought this up?" She asked as she looked at her brother, before sighing and told Mitsuru that they were going tonight.

"Very well, everyone will be on stand-by until we head out." Mitsuru said as everyone waited for the Dark Hour.


	47. Episode46: Guardian Shadow of 36th Floor

Ep.46: Guardian Shadow of 36th Floor

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-5/31-

When the Dark Hour set in and the school transformed to Tartarus, the group entered and went to the floor they were on last time and took out the first level of Shadows before going up a few levels before stopping and taking a bit of a rest on the thirty-fifth floor.

"How is everyone doing?" Minako asked as she swallowed her rice ball.

"I'm still going good." Junpei said. "I don't even feel worn out like I would usually do at this point."

"Same." Yukari said.

"Looks like we're used to fighting so much." Minato said as he drank some water. "I know I don't feel like going back to the dorm."

"Same…" Akihiko said as he drank a protein shake. "These Shadows are tough, but not tough enough."

"Mitsuru-senpai mentioned that there's another strong Shadow just on the next level." Minako said. "Do you think we're up for another guardian?"

"It would depend on how many are guarding that level." Minato said. "If it's just one or two, we can take it, but if it's three, then we better consider it carefully."

"Yeah…"

"Man! I hope it's only one, I don't wanna leave just yet!" Junpei said.

"I hear ya." Akihiko said with a grin. "Though I wouldn't mind if there was two, that means we can have separate teams and change accordingly. Like our two leaders."

"Oi, oi…" The twins said as the senior boy laughed.

"In sync as always." Junpei said.

"I don't know who's worse, you or Senpai when it comes to fighting Shadows…" Minato said as he looked at his sister. "If you don't mind, Sissy, I'll leave these two to your leadership."

"Huh?"

"Hey, hey! What brought this up?" Junpei said, looking a bit surprised.

"Yeah, don't we have a say in this?" Akihiko said as he pointed to Minato. "If you put two guys with your sister, that leaves you with Yukari. That doesn't seem balanced. At least take Iori with you."

"What the hell?"

"I've done this a lot longer than you guys, so I should go with Minako-chan if Minato is serious about the arrangement."

"Now look what you did, Brother…" Minako said with a sigh. "We're not splitting up into separate teams. We're going to go up those stairs, find the guardian, and we all attack like we've done before."

"I agree with Minako-chan!" Yukari said.

"Sorry man, but I'm going to have to agree with Ko-tan on this." Junpei said.

"That's surprising." Yukari said. "You always sound like you want to wipe all the Shadows all by yourself."

"Yeah, but with Ko-tan, I can't really argue with her when she gets this way."

"Huh? What does that suppose to mean?" Minako asked as Akihiko chuckled.

"He's simply saying that you do a good job leading us." He said as he got up. "Well, I'm pretty much rested up."

"Same…" Minato said as he got up. "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready for the guardian battle."

"Now that's what I like to hear!" Junpei said as he got up.

"You guys are idiots…" Yukari said as she and Minako got up.

"At least they have us to make sure they don't go overboard." Minako said, making Yukari giggle.

"No doubt about that."

"C'mon now…" Junpei said as Minako grabbed her naginata and pointed to where the stairs leading up were located.

"Let's show this Shadow what we're made of."

"Right!" The group said as they made their way up.

xxxxx

"_I detect one Shadow in this floor's central area."_ Mitsuru warned. _"It's relatively strong, so be cautious."_

"Understood, Senpai." Minako said as she looked at her brother. "Just one this time."

"Yeah, but we can't assume it's going to be an easy fight."

"Right." She said as they made their way in the area, only to find the Shadow, which resembled a goddess statue from sometime during the Italian Reinassance; beautiful but holds something deadly beneath the stone exterior. "Spread out!" She called out as the group rushed to surround it. "Mitsuru-senpai! What can you tell me on this?"

_"Its Arcana is the Empress. As you know it's a guardian, so it'll be a difficult fight!"_

"We'll see about that!" Akihiko said, the sparks in his eyes show the excitement of a fighter.

"It's getting ready to attack!" Minato called as the Shadow opened itself up like an Iron Maiden, emitting a purple mist that spread out the whole room. 'Damn! Poison!'

Minako brought up her red scarf she brought along with her and placed it over her nose and mouth. 'Good thing I brought a scarf.' She thought as she saw that Junpei had his arm over his nose and mouth, but her brother, Akihiko, and Yukari didn't look so great, when Akihiko took out a pill and chewed it, running over to Minato and telling him to take the pill as he headed over to Yukari, only for the Shadow was about to attack. 'No you don't!' She attacked it, bringing its attention to her as she managed to get a few swings in.

"I'm coming in!" Junpei said, getting ready to charge in.

"No! Stay in defense!" Minako said as Akihiko and the other two were looking better, which the Shadow attacked Yukari with some wind attack, which hardly did anything.

"It's strong against Garu!" Minato called out, also noticing that. "Yukari! Use your arrows!"

"Right!" She said as she managed to get a shot in. "This one won't give up!"

"We're still early into the fight!" Akihiko said as Minato summoned Chimera to do an attack, which he summoned his to do the same, but the Shadow still stood. "Damn, I couldn't finish it off."

Minako attacked once more before calling out to Yukari to hit it while it was still distracted enough on her. Yukari did, but the Shadow moved out of the way, the arrow embedding itself into the wall instead. "How can it move so fast!?"

"Now it's my turn!" Junpei said as he attacked, knocking it to it's back. "Sweet!"

"Not bad, Junpei!" Yukari cheered. "This will be a great time to do an all out attack!"

"No!" Minato ordered. "Let's keep this up!"

"If you say so…" Yukari said as Minato and Minako looked at each other, nodding and both charged up to the fallen Shadow and attacked it.

"Senpai! Teach it a lesson!" Minato said as he and his sister made way for Akihiko to punch a good number in.

"Senpai! Fall back!" Minako called out as she looked at Yukari. "Here's your second chance! Make it a good shot!"

"Right!" She said as she managed to get a hit in. "Alright!"

"Slash away, Junpei!" Minato called as Junpei did a good number on the Shadow, making it dazed.

"Okay! All out now!" The twins called out as all of them went in and defeated the Shadow.

"Alright!" Junpei said as he laughed. "That was pretty intense!"

"Yeah, but," Yukari said as she looked at the twins. "Why didn't you guys want us to do an all out when I mentioned it?"

"It's hard to get a critical attack on it if all of us attacked at once." Minato said, as if it was the most logical thing in the world. "Though I didn't expect it would get dazed."

"When we saw that, we knew if we did an all out attack it will disappear." Minako said as Akihiko patted her shoulder.

"That was a good call." He said as he sighed. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm ready to call it in."

"Yeah, it's about time for us to wrap this up." Yukari said.

"Yeah, let's go home." Minato said as everyone headed to the transporter device and went back to the entrance, where they made their way back to the dorm and slept for a few hours.


	48. Episode47:Taking a Chance and Junpei's

Ep. 47: Taking a Chance and Junpei's Believe it, or Don't

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Tough / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Ordinary

-6/1-

The next morning the twins barely made it on the monorail on time as they were still a bit tired from last night's fight in Tartarus. They headed to the school gates when Mitsuru caught their attention and they went up to her.

"Good morning." She said. "There seems to be a sense of restlessness in the air." She looked around to see some students looked a little on edge.

The twins noticed this too. "Must be because of the rumor." Minato said, pretty sure that was the cause.

"Yeah…" Minako said as Mitsuru looked worried.

"Well, I just hope it doesn't have anything to do with Shadows." She shook her head as she seemed to put that subject down for the time being. "Akihiko said we may be receiving a new member, but we don't know when we'll be attacked… So remain alert at all times."

"Okay Senpai." The twins said as they went to their classroom.

xxxxx

The day went by normally for everyone as lunch came by and Junpei came up to her and asked her to join him to pick up a few things, which she agreed to do while her brother slept.

"Where are we going Junpei? What are we supposed to pick up?"

"Don't hit me, but I found out how you can get Akihiko-san's heart, or at least his attention."

"Huh?!" She said as she blushed as she looked around to see that they were the only ones within the area while everyone else was busy doing their own things. "Are you crazy?"

"Hear me out!" Junpei said with a wink. "It's as simple as three steps! One, go up to him. Two, talk to him. And finally, three, just ask him to walk back to the dorm together."

"H-How is that supposed to work?"

"It's simple. You go up to him when all the girls are waiting to pounce him like usual, you come up to him before that happens, just ignore the glares you get, and just talk to him like you usually do. You do this a few more times and soon he'll fall for you." He said with a grin. "It's so simple I can't believe I didn't think of this before."

"We do that anyway… how would this be any different?"

"Oh? Has he offered you to walk back to the dorm before?"

"No… he's already there when I get to the dorm."

"Exactly! You talked to him with most of us around, but never one-on-one."

She blushed as she realized the truth of that. "Those girls will kill me though…"

"No they won't, you know why?" He said as she looked up. "Because if you get hurt, Akihiko-san will know and those girls would rather die than see him hate them."

She stared at him incredulously as she shook her head. "You're crazy…" She sighed. "So crazy that I'm believing it."

"So, you gonna do it?"

She was going to answer when the warning bell rang.

"Well, it's your choice whether you do it or not." Junpei said with a grin. "You know where he'll be." With that they walked back to the classroom together before the teacher came in and told them to settle down.

xxxxx

After school, Minato was about to leave when Minako said she had something to do and left. Minato shrugged as he joined Junpei, who was grinning like a fox.

"What are you scheming?" Minato joked as Junpei wrapped an arm around his neck.

"How I'm going to kick your ass in Call of Honor."

"As if!" He said as he and Junpei joked around.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako went to the laboratory hallway where she saw a bunch of other girls waiting around the corner and found it sad to see them like that as she heard one of the girls said that they could see the senior and went around them in time to see him walk through the door.

'Here goes nothing.' She thought as she walked past the waiting girls. "Afternoon Senpai." She said as Akihiko smiled and waved at her.

"Hey Minako-chan. Are you going home?" He asked, not seeing the glares that are aimed at the girl in front of him.

She nodded. "I was wondering if you would like to walk home with me." She could feel the daggers on her back from the glares, but she ignored it.

"Okay," He said, smiling "then do you mind if we stop somewhere on the way? There's something I've been in the mood for…" He asked as he looked curious, not seeing or sensing the intense atmosphere that the girls were emitting.

She can sensed this, but she smiled and nodded. "Sure, I don't mind." She said, sensing the crushing atmosphere dissipate in the moment of shock from the girls that were glaring at her and they made their way out, the girls looking on with shock.

xxxxx

Akihiko brought her to the ramen shop as they found a place to sit. "You're okay with the special, right?" He asked as she nodded and looked at the waiter. "Two extra-large specials, please."

"Can I order some appetizers, too?" She asked, since she missed lunch and her stomach was on strike against her. 'Junpei's fault, not mine.' She thought as Akihiko chuckled.

"Yeah, eat as much as you'd like." He said as the waiter left after taking the orders. "Physical strength is everything." He said as she tilted her head. "Your skills are truly remarkable." This made her blush. "But they won't be of any use if you get exhausted easily."

She nodded understandingly. "But, I'm keeping up rather well, aren't I?"

"Of course." Akihiko said with a smile. "I didn't mean that you weren't keeping up. If you weren't, then I would have to drag you around."

She smiled as she giggled. "That's good."

"In all honesty, you've come a long way. I don't really know you as well as Mitsuru does but that doesn't mean I can see how much you've grown, and you're still growing."

She can sense that he was very concerned about her as the appetizers and the extra-large ramen brought to them and started to eat.

When she was done, she sighed in content. 'So good…'

"Amazing, you completely polished that off." Akihiko said as he looked at the now empty bowl.

"I was hungry." She said as she felt her stomach groaning. 'I'm so full.'

"Hey, are you up for going to another restaurant?" He asked as she looked at him as if he was crazy.

"I can't eat another bite." She said with a blush.

"Well, it wouldn't be good for you to get a stomachache." He said with a quirk of a smile. "Let's not do this today, then." He laughed a bit. "You must have a really small stomach." He reached over to poke her forehead. "If you don't eat right, you'll never grow stronger."

She felt like she did when she was little and her brother, taking on the parenting role, as he did the same thing to her, and she glared at the senior for bringing up one of the very few annoying memories she had with her brother.

"Why are you glaring at me like that?" He said with a chuckle. "I'm not Junpei. I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl." He leaned back in his seat. "Mitsuru was the one who recommended you and your brother to be our leaders, due to how well you work together and sharing responsibilities when the time calls for it, but I thought that was the best position for you two as well." He smiled proudly. "So you and your brother do your best and do a good job, okay? Tell that to your brother as well. Our lives are on the line too, after all."

She blushed as she nodded. "Right, and… Thank you, Senpai."

"And, of course, we'll do our best to back you up, as well." He winked. "You two aren't the only ones who's going to be trying hard out there."

She smiled and nodded. "And we don't expect less than the best." She said as she felt a stir in her chest. 'A bond… With Senpai?' She thought as she paid for her part of the bill and Akihiko handed it to the waiter.

"Well, since we're done eating, I guess we should head back." He said as they got up from their seats. "Let's get a quick jog in to help settle our stomachs."

She nodded as she followed him as they jogged their way back to the dorm, the senior boy encouraging her to keep up, which she did and made it to the dorm, which everyone was at the table, talking about something before looking at them enter through the door.

"Where have you two been?" Minato asked, curious about the sudden change of partners.

"Sorry for stealing your sister, but she asked me to walk back to the dorm, but we stopped by the ramen shop on my request."

"Oh, okay." Minato said. "That's cool."

"What were you guys talking about?" Minako asked as she leaned on the chair that her brother was using.

"Junpei and I were talking about a strategy plan for the co-op portion of the game when Yukari came in and started to put in her two cents in. And then Junpei was going to ask something when you guys came in."

"Yeah, I was going to ask Yuka-tan here if she had seen the posts on the student message board?" Junpei said as he received a confused look. "You know how last week, that girl was found by the front gate?" A nod that time. "Well, there's this rumor that it was an angry spirit from this one ghost story."

"H-Hey! C'mon…" Yukari said, looking slightly scared. "Nobody believes that stuff!? R-Right?" She tried to reassure herself.

"So, what is this ghost story about?" Mitsuru asked.

"Wha-!? It-It's probably made up… so why bother!?"

"I'm interested. Go ahead and tell us." Akihiko said, which made Yukari feel outnumbered.

Junpei leaned across the table, took out a flashlight that no one knows how he got it from and spoke in a mysterious voice as he turned on the light, giving him a creepy look. "Good evening. Welcome to 'Junpei's Believe It, or Don't'. There are many strange things in this world… According to one story… if you get caught at school late at night, you'll be devoured by a maniacal ghost that roams the halls!"

Yukari went up to Minako and stood next to her as the other girl paid attention to the story.

"The other day, this friend of mine—let's call him Shu… He said to me, 'Junpei, I saw something strange.' He sounded serious, so I asked him what he'd seen. He said it was about the girl in 2-E… He claims he saw her go into the school on the night of the incident. I couldn't believe it. She's not the kind of girl to be out at night… But Shu was as white as a sheet. He insisted it was true…"

Minako heard a whimper coming from Yukari, but didn't look to see if it was true.

"Then , it hit me… That ghost must've tried to make her its dinner! And that's why they found her lying on the ground by the gate! I felt a chill run down my spine, and I broke into a cold sweat… Yes, there are strange things in this world… Believe it… or don't." With that he turned off the flashlight and waited for a reaction.

"What do you think, Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked casually, which wasn't something Junpei expected.

"Huh? Not one word about my frankly amazing performance just now?"

"I think it's worth investigating." Akihiko said, as if talking about the weather.

Junpei gave up on the seniors as he looked to see that Yukari was practically gripping Minako's shoulder and smiled. "Wow, I didn't know you were afraid of ghosts, Yuka-tan. That's kinda funny."

"Hey, watch it!" Yukari said as she let go of Minako. "Sorry about that…"

"No problem."

Yukari took a deep breath as she looked at Junpei's smug look. "F-Fine, then let's investigate. We'll each ask around for the rest of the week. I'll prove to you that this ghost story is just an urban legend!"

"I appreciate that. The story is a bit unnerving." Mitsuru said, looking grateful for Yukari's proposal.

"Huh?"

"Then, I'll let you guys handle it." Akihiko said with a grin. "Just make sure you sleep with one eye open." He teased.

"Whaaat?"

"Okay, leave it to us." Minato said.

"Huh?"

"What? You're the one who proposed it."

"Yeah, but…"

"If you're scared I can hold your hand." Minato said bluntly that he was hit for it.

"That's not it! Idiot!" With that she marched up the stairs. "I'm going to bed!"

The other juniors just watched her go as Junpei shrugged.

"Why is it so hard to admit that she was scared?"

"She's a proud young woman. Showing even the slightest fear would bring a disadvantage to her." Minako said. "And that would prove disastrous by whoever finds out."

"Okay, I can understand that." Junpei said as he yawned. "Man, I'm getting tired."

"I think we should just go to bed." Minato said as he yawned. "I like to get some sleep before this 'ghost' business gets into my dreams."

"Don't tell me you're scared of ghosts?"

"I don't like the memory that follows." He said as he went up the stairs.

"What's that about?" Junpei asked as he looked at Minako.

"Oh, well, when we started to live with our aunt, she would tell us these ghost stories to make us stay out of sight when she had company over." Minako said with a shrug. "Personally, I like them, but Brother… he didn't for sometime before I found him some good ghost stories that have a happy story behind it, if not really sad."

"Oh… I didn't know that."

Minako giggled. "Don't worry about it. And by the way, I thought you did a great job there with the ghost story."

"Why thank you!" He said as he yawned. "Yep, I'm going to bed. See ya in the morning Ko-tan."

"See you tomorrow!" She said as she looked at the seniors. "You're going to stay up a little while?"

"We'll turn in soon, go on ahead." Mitsuru said as the other nodded. She then looked to see Akihiko as he sat down on the couch, waiting for the Chairman to come in a bit later. "Did you enjoy your time with Minako-chan?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He said with a smile. "It's a bit different, but it's a welcomed one."

"You seem a little happier."

"I do?" He asked as she nodded.

"You do. In fact, I don't remember a time that I've seen you that happy, even on your good days."

Akihiko wasn't sure what to make of that as he scratched his head. "Well, if you say so…" He said as the Chairman entered and they filled the man in on what's been going on.

xxxxx

Then the clock hit midnight, the Dark Hour arrived and the twins felt a presence in the room and stirred to see the mysterious boy.

"Good evening." He said with a mysterious smile. "I came to see you again, as I promised. How are you two?"

"Oh, it's you…" Minato said as Minako waved.

"I'm glad you remembered me." He said as he disappeared before reappearing at the foot of Minako's bed. "Now… In another week, the moon will be full again. And the next ordeal will be upon you. So be careful." He disappeared once again before reappearing again in-between them. "I'll come again." With that he disappeared.

The twins looked at each other, wondering what this ordeal was going to be.

"You don't think it has to do with what happened at school, do you?" Minako asked as Minato thought about it.

"I wouldn't discount it…" He said as he looked at his sister. "Let's just get the facts straight from school and see for sure if this is tied to it. Okay?"

"Right. But it does sound like they're connected somehow."

"But by what? That's the big question." He said as he yawned. "Let's worry about it in the morning…" He laid back down to sleep, which his sister followed suit as well.


	49. Episode 48: Familiar Businessman

Ep. 48: Familiar Businessman

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/2-

The next morning, the twins were still thinking about what could connect the rumor with the ordeal when Yukari came up to them.

"Mornin'." She said as the twins replied in kind as she looked determined. "Ya know what? From this day forward, I'm gonna do my best!"

The twins had no idea what she was talking about as they gave her a thumbs up. "Good luck." They said in unison as she looked a bit annoyed.

"Do you guys even know what I'm talking about?"

"Is it about finding out about the whole rumor thing that may or may not be related to the 'ghost story' thing?" Minato said, figuring that's what this was all about.

"Yeah, that's it. So you guys better find out as much as you can, too…" She said as she wagged a finger at them. "Remember, you only have until Friday! I'm counting on you two."

The twins looked at each other as they did a soldier's salute to her. "Hai! Takeba-san!" Both said in unison as Yukari face-palmed.

"You guys…"

"Sorry, but you looked so serious, you needed a reminder to lighten up." Minato said with a smile. "Don't want to spread any more rumors now."

"Right…" She said as they headed to their classroom.

xxxxx

When the classes ended, Minato told Minako that he was going to hang out with Chihiro and Minako headed to the nurse's office, where they were getting students coming and going, keeping them busy.

"Well then, I'll have to go get Edogawa-san…" Saori said as she responded to the student's problems happily, which some of them beg her not to get the staff member. "Huh? You don't want me to get him?" She questioned as one of the students told the reason why. "He forces you to take terrible-tasting medicine? But you won't get any better if you don't take it…" She shook her head. "I'm not allowed to give out any medicine myself…" She started to look troubled by the selfish students.

"Saori-san!" Called out the girl with buns in her hair that borrowed notes the last time she was in.

"Oh, Higashida-san. I'm sorry, I'm a little busy right now…"

"Oh, it's okay, it'll be quick!" The girl said. "Um… About the notes I borrowed…"

"My notes? Oh, right…"

"Michi lost them. I'm sorry, I'll make sure I yell at her!" She said as she bowed.

"Huh? Oh, that's fine."

"Well, s-see you!" The girl said as she ran out of the room.

For a moment, Saori was silent when she remembered where she was. "Oh, I'm sorry." She said as she faced the students. "Um, so, like I was saying, Edogawa-san needs to…" She started to explain as Minako tried her best to keep up.

Soon the flood of students slows to a trickle and then it stopped entirely.

"Whew…" Saori sighed as she sat down on the stool. "Today was pretty rough, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but I wanna stay here a bit longer." Minako said, feeling a bit comfortable on the cot she was on. 'So comfy…'

"Uh-huh, that's how I feel, too." She said with a laugh before she realized something. "Oh, right, didn't we get homework today? I should make use of this time and get it done…" She was about to reach into her bag when she stopped. "Oh, wait, my notes…"

"The same ones that the girl lost?"

"Y-Yeah. My physics homework would be a lot easier if I still had my notes." She shrugged. "Well, there's no point complaining about what I don't have."

"But she's being terrible to you by letting another student borrow the notes!" Minako said. "Especially since you told her that you wrote those notes down because you were having trouble with the subject."

"Huh? You think so?" She said with a kind smile. "Thanks, you're such a nice person."

Minako smiled as well as she felt her bond with the other girl get a little stronger as Saori looked at the time.

"Oh, it's almost time." She said as she looked at Minako. "I'm going to go get Edogawa-san. Could you lock the shelves?"

"Sure thing." She said as she saw the other off as she locked the glass-display shelves of medicines and other things she didn't care to know about before leaving to head back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minato, he found Chihiro and they headed to Paulownia Mall, and from there to the café.

"Is it just me, or is the air conditioning in here too strong?" Chihiro asked, putting down her cup. "I feel light-headed…" She sighed. "I haven't been feeling well lately… I couldn't even finish my lunch today."

'She does look a bit pale.' Minato noted.

"I may have caught a cold…" She looked up to him. "I'm sorry, Minato-san, but can we go to a drug store?"

"Sure." He said as they got up from their seats and headed to the pharmacy.

"I'll go get some medicine. I'll be right back." She said as she ran into the pharmacy, and she didn't take long as she tried to hurry out, only for a creep to notice.

"What's your hurry, girlie? Going to your boyfriend's?" The creep said.

"Wh-what do you want?" Chihiro said, obviously uncomfortable with the situation.

"You just came out of the drug store, right? What'd ya buy? Hm? Hmm!?"

"L-Leave me alone! Go away!" She said as Minato stood in front of her. "Minato-san…"

Minato stood in-between Chihiro and the creep, glaring at the man. 'This guy isn't so tough. I can easily take him out if he so much makes a move.'

"Wh-Who are you? I-I was just… making sure she was okay…" The creep said, looking like he was backing out from the glare and threatening stance. "But, I hafta get going… My favorite anime is on now…" With that the creep ran away.

Both of them took a huge sigh of relief.

"I-I'm glad." Chihiro said. "I thought you were going to hit him, Minato-san…"

"I was thinking about it if he tried anything." Minato said honestly.

"I-I wouldn't want you to… to fight… because of me… but just now, you were… um…" She said as she seemed lost for words. "Y-You, um, helped me, Minato-san, and I'm not scared anymore… b-but…" She was shaking. "Why am I still shaking?"

"You're okay, Chihiro-chan…" He said calmly. "You're just a bit startled by what happened."

"If you say so, Minato-san." Chihiro said as she seemed to stop shaking a little. "I'm okay now." She seemed happy as she blushed. "Wh-Why all of a sudden… do I feel short of breath? Minato-san, I…" She looked up at him, looking appreciative.

He smiled as he felt his bond with her got a little stronger as he saw that she was flustered.

"I really must be sick… I feel like my face is all flush." She said as her face was flushed. "Um, b-by the way! Th-Thank you for saving me today!" She bowed. "Ex-Excuse me!" With that she ran away, blushing, leaving Minato standing there, wondering what the hell happened.

"I hope she feels better…" He said as he headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When he reached the dorm, he was greeted by Junpei, who was with his sister and Akihiko and Mitsuru, as they seemed to be talking about something while Yukari worked on something at the kitchen table. He went over to the group and asked what they were doing, in which his sister mentioned that she planned on going out for a bit and if he wanted to join, he did have some things to look into at the Velvet Room so he agreed and they headed out to the mall.

Once they were there, they were going to the alleyway when a man that seemed fairly familiar walk up to them.

"Hey, you two make a good looking couple." He said as mumbled to himself as he studied them.

"Sir, we're actually siblings." Minato said.

"We're fraternal twins." Minako said as this seemed to catch the man's attention.

"Really now? Well, anyway, how would you two like to have your dreams come true?" The man asked. "I have a golden opportunity for you…"

The twins looked at each other and did their unique silent conversation before looking at the man. "Do tell." They said in unison.

The man smiled. "I'm only saying this to you, so don't tell anyone, okay?" He said as he lowered his voice so it wouldn't be heard. "I can make you rich—guaranteed. All you need it 20,000 yen, and your investment will multiply by ten, no, one hundred! And the best part is, you don't have to do a thing! You'll become fabulously wealthy while you sleep! Just give me the 20,000 yen, and I'll take care of the rest. Well, what do you say?"

The twins looked at each other as another silent conversation was made before they looked at the man.

"Would that be a total between the two of us or of each?"

The man seemed to force a smile. "Between the both of you." He said, though he almost cringed when he said it.

The twins took out 10,000 yen from their wallets and handed it over to the man.

"I'll be in touch once your fortune has been made."

"Good night sir." Minako said as she and her brother continued on towards the mall. "What was that about?"

"I don't know… he seems familiar…"

"He does…" She said as she shrugged her shoulder as they found the alley. "Well, here we are, let's get a few things straightened out and see if we can fuse any more Personas."

"You just read my mind." He said as they entered the Velvet Room to do just that before going back to the dorm.


	50. Episode 49: Rumor Searching

Ep. 49: Rumor Searching

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/3-

The next morning, the twins were heading to the school when Junpei caught up to them.

"S'up dudes?" He said. "Hey, are you guys looking into that ghost story?"

"Yeah." Minato said as Minako nodded.

"Seriously? Shouldn't we just leave that to Yuka-tan? I've got better things to do…" He said with a small grin. "Besides, I have plenty of scary stories up my sleeve."

"I can't wait to hear it." Minako said as Minato sighed.

"I'll pass. I rather get the facts straight and not have Yukari-chan on my case than hear a story."

"I thought you're a lot braver than this, Toto-nii." She said as Junpei chuckled.

"I bet you were seriously creeped out when you heard that story the other night. They say it's true, though." Junpei said as the warning bell rung. "Ah crap!"

"Run!" Minako called out as they did to their class.

xxxxx

The day went on as normal and soon the class day has ended and everyone was heading out.

"So, what should we do?" Minato asked. "We got a few things to do."

"I was thinking we might go to the student council. It's been awhile." Minako suggested.

"Yeah, and with all this rumor business going around, maybe we'll get something there from the other members." With that they headed over to the student council room, where they spent the next couple hours working on projects towards the end when Hidetoshi came up to them, asking if they would like to stay behind for a little while to talk, which they agreed.

"I'd like to hear your opinion on something. It's nothing serious, but…" Hidetoshi started to say. "Some student feel the school uniform should be abolished, and they're recruiting supporters…"

"It's a waste of time." Minato said.

"Yeah, even in real life, wearing a suit is like wearing a uniform." Minako agreed, which Hidetoshi seemed happy to hear.

"You're right about that." He said as he sounded satisfied. "They think life without rules is freedom. It's ridiculous, plain and simple. Without rules, the whole system will collapse. They're mistaking selfishness for freedom." He then noticed the twins were staring at him and cleared his throat. "Sorry, I may have overreacted." He looked serious. "I hate people with no common sense. Sometimes, I can't believe the things that come out of their mouths." He looked at them. "I don't mean either of you of course. I just want you to understand where I'm coming from."

The twins nodded. "We understand." Minato said as they both felt a stir in their chests, knowing that their bond with the other has grown a little stronger.

Hidetoshi smiled as he sighed. "Why don't you two go home? I'll finish up here."

"Are you sure?" Minako asked.

"I'm sure, go ahead."

"Have a good day." Minato said as he and his sister headed out of the room and into the dorm.

xxxxx

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said. "How was student council?"

"It was okay." Minato said.

"We got a lot of things done." Minako said as she sat down next to Mitsuru and took out her text book to start on her homework that she had been working on earlier.

"That's good to hear."

"How's that investigation thing going along?" Akihiko asked as he was fixing up his boxing glove.

"It's going." Minato said as he sat down in the comfy chair. "I doubt you guys heard anything other than what the rumor has created."

"That's true." Akihiko said. "That, and we have other things to focus on so we can't really tell you much."

"That's fine, it's our task as juniors that Yukari has set us up for." Minato said as Akihiko chuckled.

"It's good to hear how determined you are." Mitsuru said with a grin. "I will expect good results on Friday then, as Takeba has proposed."

"Will do." Minato said as he got his books out to work on. "Other than that, how have you guys been?"

They talked for part of the night before they had to turn in to sleep.

The twins had two days left before they shared what they knew about the ghost story.

XXXXX

-6/4-

The next morning, the twins felt somewhat rested as Yukari caught up to them.

"Mornin'…" She said with a yawn. "This sucks…"

"What's wrong?" Minako asked.

"I spent so much time thinking about ghost stories that now I'm having nightmares…"

"Don't overdo it…" Minako said with some concern.

"Don't worry. I'm fine."

"How's it going?" Minato asked as Yukari nodded.

"It's going." She said. "But, there's so many stupid rumors going around that it's tough to put them all together. I did get some useful information, though. I'm gonna look into it more today."

"Okay, we'll do the same." Minako said. "Though we might have the same information."

"That's fine!" Yukari said with a smile. "At least I know I'm not the only one doing this. Knowing Junpei, he's probably not even trying."

"You shouldn't discount him so easily." Minako said. "After all he's not only our classmate, but also our teammate."

"R-Right…" Yukari said as she raised a brow. "You and Junpei really do get along."

"Well, he's my best friend in the guy category." Minako said honestly, tilting her head. "Something the matter?"

"Oh, nothing!" Yukari said as the warning bell rang. "Oh man! We better hurry!" With that they ran to their classroom.

xxxxx

The day went on as normal when Kenji came up to Minato about hanging out after school and Junpei asked Minako if she had time to hang out, only to look like he seemed concerned about something.

So, after school, the twins went their separate ways, Minako looking going with Junpei and Minato looking for Kenji, who was at the school's main gate.

"Hey man." He said to Kenji, who seemed down about something.

"Oh, Minato, sorry, man. I'll have to pass."

Minato tilted his head to the side. "Why?"

"I forgot I have to go check out that cram school today. Sorry man." Kenji said as he looked apologetic. "So, I don't have time to eat ramen. I mean, getting into college is more important than hanging out, right? Don't you think about the future?"

"Yeah, I have thirty year goals." Minato said, sounding serious.

"Whoa, dude! I didn't know you were so serious about your future!" Kenji said, sounding impressed.

"When you lose your parents like me and Sissy did, you kinda had to think a lot about it."

"Yeah… I guess so…" Kenji said as he sighed. "I never really thought about my future until Emiri told me I should. She said I'd end up a loser if I didn't. But, the future's a long way off, dude. I mean, first I have to go to college, right? All of Emiri's students go to good colleges. She must be thinking about our future together…" He then started talking to himself before looking up to Minato. "You should think about your future too. You don't want to end up a loser, do you?"

"I just told you I already have a plan…" Minato said as he seemed to think about it. "But then… ever since I came here, those plans needed to be changed…"

"That's why we gotta work our asses off, man! For our futures!" Kenji said as he was sincerely worried about the other's future.

Minato nodded as he felt his bond with the other getting a bit stronger as Kenji calmed down a bit.

"Later, Minato. I'm going to cram school." With that he ran off, leaving Minato to decide to go to the dorm.

xxx

Meanwhile, after Minato left to look for Kenji, Minako found Junpei and they headed to the ramen shop.

"This is my treat, Ko-tan! Order whatever you want!" Junpei said with a laugh.

"You usually pick out the good ones."

"Okay!" He said as he thought about it and looked at her. "You okay with the special? If you want, they can put an extra egg on top."

"Sounds good to me." She said as Junpei ordered two of them as she told him about some of the things he missed while he was asleep in one of the classes as the specials came in.

"C'mon, eat up!" Junpei said.

'He's being very generous today.' She thought, wondering if something good happened, or something she should be concerned about. "Thanks for the food!" She said.

"Yeah, dig right in!" Junpei said as they both started to eat their ramen.

When they were done, Minako sighed in bliss of being full. "Thanks for the meal!" She said happily as Junpei smiled a bit.

"You look like you're in high spirits, like always." He said, sounding relieved.

'Looks like something did happen.' She thought as she tilted her head. "Were you worried about me?" She asked, wondering if that's the reason why he was so generous towards her.

"Uh, yeah. Does that mean you know about it, too?"

She was completely confused. "What's wrong Junpei? I don't understand…"

"Uh, well…" He said as he seems hesitant to speak. "Wait, so you haven't heard?" He said as he scratched his head. "Guess I shouldn't have brought it up…"

"Junpei…" She said, looking at him in concern.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you." He said as he sighed. "Um… Don't get mad at me, okay? Supposedly, there are these photos of you going around." He saw her eyes going wide. "They aren't weird pictures or anything! They're of you in your gym clothes…"

"That's considered weird to a girl."

"There are other girls in them, too, but you're right in the center, so…" He looked a bit uncomfortable talking about it. "I think whoever took the pictures was aiming specifically at you."

"How did you find out about this?"

"One of the guys in a different class found it. He came over to me and was like, 'Isn't this the girl in your dorm?' I took that copy of it away from him, but the original's still out there…" He said as he looked troubled. "Although, still, you must really be popular. This kind of thing isn't normal." He said with a grin, trying to lighten the atmosphere. "I wonder if I'll be in danger of having a picture of me taken with you." He chuckled. "I'd have to find who it was and kick his ass if that happened." He then looked serious as he looked at her. "But seriously… Be careful, alright? I haven't even told Minato this, and it doesn't look like he knows either."

She nodded. "Better not tell him then, he'll never let me out of his sight if he knew." She said as she felt her bond with Junpei become a bit stronger.

"Yeah, I can understand that." He said as he sighed. "Now, how to go about retrieving that picture…" He looked at her again. "Well, I'll think about it. Don't let it bother you too much." He sighed again. "But man, photos? What in the world would anyone use that fo—" He looked at her and chuckled nervously. "Oh… No, never mind…"

"You're not making any sense…" She said as she was relieved to have known this as well as knowing Junpei was there to help her out.

"So, how did you and Akihiko-san get along?" He asked as they were heading out of the ramen shop.

"Oh, fine, but I think I made all of his fangirls the number one on their 'hope to die soon' list."

"Well, what can they do? I mean, all they do is crowd around him when he wants to go somewhere, and stalk him when he's getting to class or something."

"Didn't you wish to have that kind of recognition?"

"At one point, but Minato is right, it gets annoying after awhile." Junpei said. "Even I wouldn't remember their names if a new one suddenly joins the masses." He sighed. "Now that I know that you're at least attempting to get more friendly with him, I'm starting to see what he has to deal with." He winked. "But I bet those girls will start backing out once he admits his love to you!"

"Come on!" She said as she playfully punched his arm, making them both laugh as they headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as she looked up from the paper to see them come in. "Enjoyed your evening?"

"Just went to get some ramen, not a big deal." Junpei said as he sat down next to Akihiko, who paused in mending his boxing glove until Junpei was settled onto the couch.

"Has Toto-nii come in?"

"He has, he's currently studying in his room as we speak."

"Looks like he's trying to catch up to me." Minako said with a smile.

"You would think." Minato said as he came up behind her. "I'm going to the mall to see if Officer Kurosawa has anything new. Wanna come, Sissy?" He asked.

'Or to see what else we can do in the Velvet Room.' Minako though, since they knew using this excuse to get to the mall, after a certain point of their late night goings to the mall. "Sure. I wanna see if he found anything that's an improvement to my naginata."

"Yeah, you're due for a new one." Minato agreed as they told the others that they would be back and left to go to the mall.

"I hate having to lie like that."

"Well, we're not really lying so much as just not speaking the whole truth. Besides, they wouldn't believe us if we told them that there's a place called the Velvet Room. They can't even see the blue door in Tartarus."

"I know, but still…"

"It's out of our hands, Sissy. There's nothing we can do about it." He said as they made their way to the mall.

xxxxx

"Brother, there's that guy again." She said as they saw the well dressed man from last night, who then took notice of them.

"Oh, there you are…" The man said. "I've been looking for you. I have some unfortunate news regarding your investment."

"What's wrong with it?" Minato said dully.

"Things are not running as smoothly as planned. It still has the potential to turn a profit, but… I would require an additional 10,000 yen to get things back on track…" He looked at them expectantly. "Are you willing to increase your investment by this amount?"

The twins looked at each other with another silent exchange as they gave him the money each.

"I'll be in touch once your fortune has been made."

"No hurry." Minato said as he and his sister walked towards the alley. "I don't think we should go in as long as that guy is still there."

"I agree, he might think that we suspect him and that will just cause more trouble to us." She said as she looked at her brother. "Why did we give him our money, anyway?"

"He might be our next social link. Don't ask me why, I just know."

"I feel the same way, but this one I just don't feel comfortable with." She said as she shivered. "I hope he doesn't end up being some kind of creep." She paled. "Mitsuru-senpai will not like finding that out if that's the case."

Minato paled at the thought too. "I don't even know what she does and I feel like I might regret it with my life by a thread." With that they found that they couldn't even go to the Velvet Room and decided to go to Game Panic, doing the Print Club and having fun playing with that, bringing out pictures that make them look pretty good. "That's going to be framed."

"That's what I was thinking!" She said as she laughed as they made their way back to the dorm and slept easy that night.


	51. Episode 50: Light Run and Results

Ep.50: Light Run and Results

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/5-

The next morning the twins were going over some of the things they found out for tonight's reveal when Yukari came up.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." Both said.

"Remember what we talked about on Monday? The ghost story?" She asked as the twins nodded. "Let's talk about it some more tonight…"

"Sounds good." Minato said.

"Yep, I heard some interesting stories…" Yukari said with a proud smile. "Don't forget, okay?"

"Like we would?" Minato said as they rushed to their classroom.

xxxxx

At lunchtime, while her brother slept after the lesson he forced himself to stay awake for, Minako headed out to get the drinks when she saw Akihiko. "Hello, Senpai." She said not noticing the death glares aimed at her.

"Oh, it's you, Minako-chan. Funny running into you here." He looked up to see the classroom number. "Oh, wait… This is right in front of your classroom, isn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'm going to get some drinks, and maybe a canned coffee for Toto-nii while lunch is still around."

"Tired?"

"He stayed up studying. And the lecture nearly put everyone else awake asleep towards the end."

Akihiko chuckled at that. "I've been there too many times. Well, I'll see you later."

"Senpai, are you busy later?" She asked, honestly curious as the girls were appalled by her bold question.

"I don't have any plans, no, but…" Akihiko responded casually, causing despair to the fans around as they couldn't believe their ears when they heard him. "Don't you have anything to do?"

"Well, nothing came up, that's why I'm asking."

He chuckled. "You want to hang out, then? I'm usually by the club rooms after school."

She nodded. "Okay, see you there, unless something comes up."

"Same here, later."

"Later." With that she saw him off while she headed the different direction to get the drinks, only to notice the glares of the girls. "Are you guys okay? If you keep that up, your face is going to stay like that."

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

'I was afraid of this…' Minako thought as she calmly responded. "Asking a dorm mate to hang out, is that wrong to do?"

"If it was anyone but Akihiko-senpai it wouldn't!"

She looked down at her watch and looked startled. "Ah! Lunch is almost up! I have to get the drinks for everyone! Sorry, gotta go!" She said as she ran for it, really getting the drinks and leaving the glaring girls staring at her.

xxxxx

When the last class finally ended, Yukari came up to the twin's table, where Junpei joined in as well and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, today's Friday. Did you guys ask around, like we said?"

"Huh? We had something planned for today?" Junpei said, making Yukari mad.

"Junpei, I TOLD you—" She stressed, making Junpei back up.

"I know, I know! I'm just kidding!" Junpei said, waving his hands in front of him to ward her off. "Man, you have such a short temper…"

"Then, we'll meet in the lounge after school." She said as she glared at Junpei. "Don't forget!"

"Yes, Ma'am…" Junpei said as she left. "I'm in no hurry to get to the lounge, are you guys?"

"I've already made plans." Minako said with a smile, which Junpei can see what those plans are.

"I'm going to hang out with Yuko for a bit." Minato said as he got up. "See you later."

"See ya dude." Junpei said as he watched him walk out of the room before Junpei smiled at Minako. "You going to see Akihiko-senpai." He said as he knew it was it.

Minako nodded as she grabbed her bag. "I'm going to head out. Try to lay low from Yukari until we get back."

"Will do! Leader. Or is Minato leader this time?"

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter."

"Cool. Have fun." He said as they parted ways.

xxxxx

Minako went to the laboratory hallway, where she saw the group of girls there, glaring at her and were blocking her way to get any farther. But she saw Akihiko, talking to another male student as their eyes caught each other and she waved, causing the girls to look behind them to see that Akihiko waved back and told the other guy that he would see him in tomorrow's club meet and made his way through the shocked fan girls towards her.

"Ready to go?" He asked as she nodded. "Mind if we did a light run to somewhere?"

"Sure, I'll see if I can keep up with you." She said, making him laugh as they made the school gate their starting point before they started a light run to the Naganaki Shrine.

xxxxx

When they got there, both were breathing heavily as Akihiko was gasping more than she was.

"Let's take a short break…" He said as she nodded as they headed to the playground area, where there was no one there and it was quiet, the wind starting to pick up. "The wind's starting to pick up…" He nodded. "That's actually a blessing, after working up a good sweat…" He smiled. "It feels nice."

"Yeah…" She said as she was feeling relieved from the run, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

"I usually train in the club room or alone in my own room at the dorm." He noted.

"Usually? Then why are you outside today? Different scenery?" She asked curiously with a head tilt.

"Why?" He said, a bit taken aback. "Well, we can't both be in my room, you know." He seemed embarrassed as he cleared his throat. "In any case, I should've changed into my workout gear." He pulled at his shirt collar that was sticking to him. "I thought this would just be a light run for fun…" He sighed. "But, I'm drenched in sweat…"

"Don't catch a cold…"

"This is nothing. I'll be fine." He said as he sneezed, making him blush as she giggled. "I said I'll be fine."

"I believe you." She said as he smiled.

"Hey, want to try that before we head back?" He asked as he pointed to the horizontal bar. "You can't do a back hip circle, can you?"

"I used to…" She said as she remembered doing it when she was little. 'That was before I was knocked off one from one of the bullies at school years ago.' She thought as she felt the other's hand on her shoulder.

"I'll help you out." He said with a smile that made her heart race a little as they headed over. "Now, watch me and I'll talk you through it when it's your turn." He grabs the bar and got to a point where he's hanging upside down for a moment before swinging backwards in a full circle, sitting on the bar, smiling down at her, who stood there in awe. "Everybody should be able to do this." He mentioned her over. "Come on up."

"Uh…" She said as she looked down at her skirt, which he took the hint with a small hint of a blush.

"Right… forgot about that…" He said as he mentioned her over. "Can you at least sit up here? Here…" He held out his hand to help her up, which she did and managed to get on.

Minako found it a little scary at first as she tried to find her balance, only to sigh in relief when she's finally on. She looked up and felt a peace for a moment as she heard the other chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing… This just takes me back…" He said as he has a nostalgic look in his eye. "It reminds me of when I was a kid." He fell silent as he looked out into the distance. "I need to get stronger… If I don't get stronger, I won't be able to save anything." He said to no one in particular.

Minako felt she understood something from him as she felt her bond with him became a little stronger as he looked at her. "We should get going." He said as he got off, holding out his hands to help her down as he caught her when she slipped off the horizontal bar. "Were you sweating today, too?" He asked. "Make sure you take a bath today so you won't catch a cold."

She nodded. "Yeah. And you should as well." She felt her heart racing a bit because he was still holding onto her.

"I know, I know." He said as he patted her head before letting go and mentioned heading out of the shrine and to the dorm.

She followed without question as she felt a little light on her feet.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato, he found Yuko and asked if they would hang out and they went to the Iwatodai strip mall, where they ate at the Wakatsu restaurant.

"The fried mackerel was good." Yuko said. "Even though I eat lunch everyday, I still get hungry after practice. I consider this an early dinner. I'll still eat dinner when I get home, though…" She sighed. "I really have to stop eating between meals, or I'll gain tons of weight once I'm not so busy with the team…" She looked up at him. "Hey, Minato-kun, do you think I eat too much?"

"Not really." He said, knowing that practice does take a lot of energy, and the body gets tired after long hours of it.

"I agree! I just eat a little more than your average girl, right!? I'm sure I burn off the extra calories during practice!" She said as she seemed amused.

'That and you could be just the type of person with a high metabolism because you're in practice a lot.' He thought.

"Hey, you live in the dorm, right Minato-kun?"

"Since the day before school started."

"Not to pry, but… You must love being around good-looking girls like Mitsuru and Yukari…"

"Not necessarily." He said. "You see the side of them that you don't see at school. Quite amusing actually."

She laughed. "Really? So, not all guys like the same thing?" She giggled. "Honestly, I wouldn't mind being more like them. Not that I'm desperate for attention or anything. Maybe I should go on a diet…" She sighed. "I'm lazy, but it's the only way." She then looked determined. "I've decided! I'm gonna stop eating between meals! My first goal is to tone up my arms!" She looked at him. "Did you hear that, Minato-kun? You're my witness."

"Loud and clear." He said as he felt his bond with her become a little stronger when she looked at her watch.

"Oh, shoot! It's already this late?"

"We better go then, better keep your resolution if you're serious about it."

"Yeah, otherwise I might be tempted to order something else." She said with a blush, but she was really happy. "Alright, let's go." With that they left the restaurant and parted ways with him, as he headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

He entered the dorm to see Yukari and Junpei, arguing for a bit as they stopped when they saw him. "Don't mind me, I'm the ghost that no one knows about."

"That's not funny!" Yukari said as Junpei found it hilarious. "Where's Minako? I thought she was with you?"

"She said she had plans, but she should be back soon." He said as he went up to the two before the door opened to find Minako run in before stopping a few feet away from the door, followed by Akihiko, both panting hard.

"I… win…" Minako said with a breathless laugh.

"How the… hell did… you get… that second… wind?" He asked as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Cooler weather." She said simply as she noticed the other three: Minato raised his brow, Yukari lost for words, and Junpei giving her the thumbs up. "Hey guys… Did I miss anything?"

"Nope, just got in myself." Minato said as he saw the two of them catching their breath. "Did you have a race or something?"

"It ended up that way." Akihiko said as he headed towards the stairs. "Later…" With that he disappeared up the stairs.

Minako smiled as she looked at the others. "So, what's up?"

"Oh, right." Yukari said as she looked at the juniors assembled in the lounge. "Okay, as we agreed on Monday, we'll now hold a meeting to discuss what we learned."

"Wow, you're really into this." Junpei said, impressed.

"Of course." She said happily. "I got lots of good info. It turns out no angry ghost was involved."

"Oh, so that's what's important, huh?" Junpei said, his impressed mood shot down.

Yukari didn't seem to like the change in attitude from him. "First off, let's talk about how this rumor got started…" She said, getting serious once again. "Since the girl was found on school grounds, there's at least one similarity to the ghost story. But, why did the rumor spread so fast, if this was the first time anything happened?"

"That's because that was actually the third time." Minako said.

"Correct!" Yukari said. "But yeah, I was surprised when I found out the reason… Over the next few days, there were two more similar incidents. All three victims had to be hospitalized. No wonder people were talking. Next, the victims are in different classes, and they don't' seem to be connected. However, they did have one thing in common. What was it?"

"What is this, a quiz show?" Junpei as he looked at Minato. "Do YOU know?"

"They hung out together." Minato said dully.

"Yup, that's right!" Yukari said. "Not just once or twice, either. They got in with a bad crowd, and were always out late. It can't be just a coincidence." She said as she crossed her arms. "So, to find out what happened, we're gonna do some field research."

"Field research?" Both boys said as Junpei continued. "Are you kidding?"

"Yeah, there's this one place where the three victims were regulars.

"Wait, you're not talkin' about that place behind Port Island Station, are you?" Junpei asked, looking surprised.

"Oh, you're familiar with it?" Yukari asked.

"You can't go there!" Junpei said, freaking out. "I've heard some nasty rumors about that place!"

"Is that so? Well then, we should all go together." Yukari said with a smile as she looked at the twins. "You'll come, right?"

The twins looked at each other as they debated with their unique silent conversations of head tilts, shrugging shoulders and slight facial features before they looked up to the other two. "Count us in." They said in unison, but Minato looked a bit unsure as he said it.

"Thanks!" Yukari said happily.

"Forget it… That place is bad news." Junpei said as he shook his head. "I mean, don't you think we're getting in over our heads?"

"Up until now, all we've done is take orders." Yukari said. "Does that feel right to you?"

"I know what you mean, but…" Junpei sighed in defeat. "Man, did you have to say it like that? I guess I don't have a choice, do I?"

"I have to agree with Junpei somewhat with this." Minato said as he looked at Yukari. "I'll still go because Sissy does want to figure this out as much as the rest of us, but if this place is as shady as Junpei says it is and we make it out without a scratch, note this…" He said as he stood up and stared down at Yukari. "If you try to go to a place without prior knowledge of its dangers, I will never allow you to do this kind of thing again without notifying our Senpais. This isn't like Tartarus where we can have our weapons and summon our Personas, if one of us gets hurt because we're going to this place, rest assured that from that point on, Sissy or I call the shots."

Yukari can feel the pressure of his stare as Minako placed a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"Toto-nii, that's stepping it a bit much."

"You're the only thing that's important to me, Sissy…" He said.

Yukari felt a bit bad as Minako looked at her with a smile.

"So, when are we going to this place? I doubt anyone would want to mess with four people." She said with an assured smile.

"Right, we'll go tomorrow night, then." Yukari said, a bit happy that Minako was at least by her side for this.

That's when Akihiko came down, looking refreshed and looking at the group with a curious look. "You guys are still here?"

"Yeah, but we're done now!" Yukari said as she grabbed Minako's arm. "Come on you! You have to get cleaned up, right?"

"Oh, yeah." She said as Yukari partially dragged her.

"Oh, Minako-chan…" Akihiko said, making the girls stop at the foot of the stairs. "Let's train again sometime, like today."

Minako smiled and nodded. "I'd like that, maybe you can teach me to do an upper jab move, for self defense of course." This made the senior boy laugh.

"Alright, I think I can handle that." He said as the girls made their way up.

"That was training?" Minato asked.

"Oh, I guess she didn't get a chance to tell you." Akihiko said as he explained what they did, which surprised Minato.

"You got her up on a horizontal bar?"

"Yeah… why do you sound so surprised?"

Minato sighed. "She loved those horizontal bars when we were kids, even after our parents died, she would play on those things." He chuckled. "She loved hanging upside down the most." He sighed. "That was before she got hurt a few times because of bullies always hanging out there."

"She was bullied?"

"Kid girls were very cruel at that age." Minato said with a sigh. "It gotten so bad that she had to be hospitalized once because one of those bitches pushed her too hard when she was trying to get up." He then looked at Akihiko. "But you said you got her up on one?" He asked as the other nodded, making him smile. "That's no small feat. It's been years since she was up on one, to simply sit down on one." He smiled at Akihiko. "Thanks Senpai, I don't think she would've done it on her own." Akihiko blushed as he yawned. "Man… I'm tired… I'm going to bed." With that he left the other two in the room.

"That explains why she looked so scared…" Akihiko said.

Junpei felt he shouldn't be in the room anymore as he got up and stretched. "I'm gonna hit the sack as well. Who knows what's going to happen tomorrow." With that he left to head to his room grinning. 'Oh man… this is great! Minako doesn't know it, but she's totally getting his attention!' He nodded to himself. 'Man, Junpei, you are a slick matchmaker.' He chuckled.


	52. Episode 51: Broken Trust

Ep. 51: Broken Trust

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/6-

The next day, it went on as normal as the it ended without much of an event as they headed back to the dorm, did a bit of their homework before Yukari mentioned to clean up and get ready to head out.

"Alright, let's get going." Yukari said as they were assembled at the lounge.

"What's your hurry?" Junpei said. "I still think this is a bad idea." He pointed to the two girls. "I mean, even with me and Minato there, bringing two girls THERE is like wandering into a lion's den with steaks strapped to us…" He looked at Yukari. "How could you be afraid of ghosts, but not be scared of this?"

Yukari crossed her arms and tilted her head. "It's easy to get freaked out by something you can't see, don'tcha think?"

Junpei glared at her. "Actually, I'm more worried about things I CAN see… like bats and knives!"

"Second that." Minato said.

Yukari sighed. "Big deal, so it's a little 'dangerous'… Come on, it'll be an adventure!"

"I'm starting to doubt your definition of 'adventure' on this." Minato said as Minako smiled.

"Adveture time!"

"Huh!? You're actually excited about this!?" Junpei said, surprised to hear this from her.

"That's the spirit!" Yukari said as the girls headed to the door.

"This is more like a suicide mission…"

Minato sighed. "Agreed, but I can't leave my sister on her own like this… It's a pain at times."

"Where's the shy and cautious sister that came to school with you?"

"Asleep somewhere in her mental mind." Minato said as they headed out to follow the girls. "I'm glad I stopped at the shrine before I went to school to pray for our safety."

"We're going to need it."

xxxxx

The four reached to Tatsumi Port Island, at the back alley where there's a few people there already before they were noticed.

"The hell?" Said one punk.

"Check out those rags…" Said another. "They're from Gekkou High."

"Oh man, this is worse than I thought…" Junpei as Minato was also thinking the same thing.

'If we make it out alive, I'm so going to give Yukari a piece of my mind, alone.' Minato thought as the first punk pointed to them.

"Hey, you. I think you're in the wrong place."

"Uh… Well, I…" Junpei started when the punk came up.

"You don't belong here… Get it? Beat it, Goatee…"

"G-Goatee? Oh, y-you mean me…" Junpei said.

"We don't need your permission to be here." Yukari said angrily, making the two boys nervous.

"H-Hey! Are you nuts!?" Junpei said.

"Don't say anything else." Minato said.

"Yeah, take a look around you!" Junpei said, hoping Yukari can see reason to this.

"I'm not blind, ya know." She said as she held her head up. "Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!"

"What was that?" Said the punk.

"She just called us 'scum'." Said one tough looking chick. "We'll post some pictures that will make her daddy cry!" She laughed. "She'll wish she was never born!"

Another tough chick laughed at this. "Ooh that's so clever!"

"These guys are the worst." Yukari said, still angry.

"You oughta learn to shut that trap of yours." The punk said as he looked at Junpei. "Man, I feel sorry for you, Goatee. This bitch is a pain in the ass… huh!"

"We'll be leaving." Minako said calmly as the other punk grabbed her arm.

"Well aren't you a sweet thing."

"Get your hands off of her!" Minato said as he was punched by the first punk.

"Minato!" Yukari said as Junpei went up at the punk.

"You son of a-" Junpei said, only to be punched by the punk as well.

"Junpei!"

"Brother! Junpei!" Minako said as the guys laughed.

"That's enough." Said a familiar voice as the guy from the hospital the other day came out from the shadows. "They didn't know what they were getting into. I'll make sure they leave. Alright?"

"Who do you think you are, dumbass?" Said the punk. "You want some too!?" He threw a punch, only to be dodged easily and was head-butted back. "Shit…" He said as he glared at the other. "You just crossed the line! You think you're going home alive!?"

"Wanna give it a try?" The guy said as he stared down at the man on the ground, who was having second thoughts as he showed signs of fear.

"Uh… S-Screw this…"

The tough chicks were laughing at this before one of them said that the punk was a loser and left the area.

"Damn you, Shinjiro…" The other punk said as he let go of Minako's arm, who then ran over to her brother, who was starting to show signs of bruising where he was punch in the jaw. "That's right… you're from Gekkou High too, aren't ya!?" He said as he helped his pal from the ground.

"You better grow eyes in the back of your head!" Said the first punk as they left the area.

"Oh man, Senpai, that was awesome!" Junpei said, recovered from being winded when he was punched in the gut.

"Hey, I remember you…" Said the guy called Shinjiro. "You clowns were in Aki's room at the hospital. You idiots! Get outta here. This place isn't for you."

"You think?" Minato said as he winced as he got up.

"Careful Toto-nii." Minako said as she helped her brother up.

"Wait!" Yukari called when Shinjiro was about to walk away. "We came here for a reason!"

"Did Aki tell you to come here?" He asked, looking very annoyed.

"No, Senpai." Minako said. "We're here to get some information."

"What she said." Minato said.

Shinjiro looked at her for a moment before finding a place to sit down and looked at them. "What do you wanna know? About that ghost story?" He asked.

"Um, yeah…" Yukari said, a bit surprised that he knew what they were going to ask. "How'd you know?"

"It's a rumor." Shinjiro said. "Those girls who wound up in the hospital were here talkin' shit every night, about all the things they'd done to some girl named Fuuka."

"Fuuka?" Junpei said. "You mean Yamagishi Fuuka from 2-E? They were picking on her?"

"That's why people are saying it's Fuuka's spirit that did it." Shinjiro said.

"Fuuka's spirit? Wait, what do you mean by that!?" Yukari said, shocked to hear this new piece of information.

"You guys don't know?" Shinjiro said. "This Fuuka girl might be dead. She hasn't been home in over a week."

This was news to the group.

"Are you serious!? I thought she was out sick…" Junpei said. "But, she's missing!?"

"So much for the ghost story." Yukari said. "Ekoda-san is the homeroom teacher for 2-E, right? Does he know about this?"

Shinjiro shook his head. "I get it, Aki…" He whispered under his breath. "Still trying to make up for the past. It's you who can't let go…" He looked up to see that they were looking at him. "Nothing…" He got up from sitting. "That's all I know. Satisfied?"

Minako bowed. "Thank you very much, Senpai."

"Y-Yeah! Thanks, Senpai!" Junpei said as he patted Minato's shoulder. "C'mon, show some appreciation."

"Thank you." Minato said as he bowed.

"I didn't do nothing."

"Um, thank you very much." Yukari said. "You even gave us a hint. You're very kind."

"Huh?" Shinjiro said with a raised a brow.

"I, um… Never mind."

"Tch… Don't come here again." He said as he turned to walk away.

"Not a problem." Minato said as he gave Yukari a look. "This is the last time we would do anything like this ever again."

Yukari remembered what he said last night and felt guilty.

"Let's just go back to the dorm…" Minato said, sounding like he was having a bad day. "I had enough 'adventures'" He said as he glared at Yukari for good measure "to last me to my grave."

Minako sighed as she walked beside her brother.

"I hate to be you, Yuka-tan." Junpei said as he looked at the guilty look she had. "I hate to say I told you so." He patted her shoulder. "Come on, we have to go back to the dorm one way or another."

Yukari nodded as she made herself move as she looked at the twins ahead, seeing how Minako was trying her best to get her brother to talk to her, only to look defeated and held his hand, which was responded by squeezing nearly the life out of her hand.

xxxxx

When they were close to the dorm, Minato stopped walking, making Minako look at him in concern as he let go of her hand.

"Toto-nii?"

"Junpei." Minato said, not looking back. "Take my sister inside, I need to talk to Yukari about something. It won't be long."

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Junpei said, sensing that this was serious and led Minako to the dorm, which she seemed worried before being led into the lounge where they saw the seniors there.

The seniors looked up and were going to ask where they've been when Junpei mentioned that they should go up stairs.

"I'll tell you guys what happened, but not here." He said as the seniors gave him a confused look, only to follow him up stairs with Minako looking back at the door now and then.

xxx

Back outside, Yukari stood there, feeling the late spring wind hit her bare skin, causing goosebumps to appear as there was a heavy silence between her and Minato, who had yet to turn around to face her.

"You do remember what I told you yesterday, right?"

"Y-Yes…"

"You should know what I'm thinking and feeling right now, right?"

"I… Yes…"

"Then you're wrong." He said as he looked up at the night sky. "You don't have siblings you love dearly. You don't even like your mom for reasons, that at this point I could care less. So you don't know what I'm thinking or feeling." He turned to face her. "You don't know anything… You said that all we've done is taking orders. Did you forget that it was mine and Sissy's orders you take on the most, and we're the same grade? You didn't know anything about the nasty rumors about that place that Junpei mentioned, did you? Even when he's freaking out and being sincere about not going when he's normally cracking some kind of joke that you would get annoyed by and say something that would either get him to stop or start an argument. And you called a 'dangerous' situation an 'adventure'!" His voice was rising as he got towards the end of that sentence. "Just what planet did you come from to think of that!? Did it once occurred to you that you could've gotten hurt? And the rest of us? Did you really think we were going to waltz in there like it was any other place, and expect to come out the same way we got in? And what the hell was calling them out like that? 'Come on, don't be intimidated by these scum!' What. The. Hell! Yukari! We could've been killed for less than what you spat out! They could've been armed!"

Yukari was starting to tear up now the more he made her realize just how thoughtless and reckless her action was this evening.

"And that's not even the worst of it!" Minato practically yelled. "I didn't want to go, but Sissy did because she believed in you! Believed in you! And still does! She see's you as the sister she never had got a chance to have!" He calmed down as he was shaking. "I'm angry, that much is clear… but I'm also scared…"

Yukari paid attention to this as he was starting to cry as well.

"I nearly lost my sister twice in my life… I can't handle a near third… I was afraid tonight was going to be that…"

Yukari had no idea about that. "Nearly… lost…"

"I guess you didn't read all of our medical records…" He said as he took a deep breath. "Sissy nearly died twice after the accident…" He took a shaky breath as he put his shaking fists in his pockets. "I'm done saying my piece." He said as he looked down at the ground. "Yamagishi is still out there… But if we're going to find her, we're going to include everyone." He turned around to head to the stairs to lead to the door. "You're still part of the team, but don't expect me to forgive you so easily." He looked at her again. "I placed my trust in you to keep my sister safe without having to prove yourself. Now you're going to have to work for it." With that he opened the door. "C'mon, it's getting late, and I'm tired. I'm sure you are too."

Yukari nodded as she entered into the lounge, Minato closing the door behind him and walked passed her without another word.

Junpei headed down stairs to see them, only for Minato to tell him a goodnight and passed him on the way up, which he replied back a similar greeting before looking to see Yukari, hunched over where she stood. "Are you going to be okay, Yuka-tan?"

"I'm sorry Junpei… I didn't mean to let this happen." Yukari said as she sniffed. "I…" She started to say as she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see him.

"Try to get some sleep, Yuka-tan. Tomorrow he might forgive you a little, but right now he's just not in the mood too."

Yukari nodded as she headed up the stairs, with Junpei's help none the less.

"I told our senpais about what happened tonight. Mitsuru-senpai wasn't happy to hear what we tried to do, but was glad we're okay, and Akihiko-senpai was glad that Shinjiro-senpai was there when he did."

"And Minako?"

"She's already in the room." He said as he told her goodnight and left to his own room.

Yukari entered he own room, locked the door, grabbed a pillow from her bed and started crying onto it.


	53. Episode 52: Patching Up

Ep. 52: Patching Up

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/7-

The next morning was a day off for everyone in the dorm, but everything was heavy of the atmosphere. Minato stayed in bed, even though he was dressed to go somewhere, causing some worry for his sister.

Minako was about to say something after she was done with a homework assignment when her cell started to go off, as well as her brother's as they both answered. "Moshi, moshi…" She said as she heard Rio's voice. "Hey Rio! How are things?" She asked as the other girl asked if she was free to go somewhere with her. She wasn't sure until she heard her brother agreeing to go somewhere with someone and she agreed to go as well to Rio before hanging up. "Going somewhere?"

"Yeah… You?" Minato said, soundly a little better than what he did last night.

"I'm feeling fine." She said as she looked at her brother. "I know you're still angry at Yukari, but please at least talk to her."

Minato nodded. "I will, just…"

"Not now, I know, but sometime soon? I really don't like to see anyone arguing or not talking to each other."

Minato nodded again as he got up. "I'm going to the Wakatsu Resturant if you need me."

"I'm going there too actually."

"Seriously?" He said as she nodded.

"Seriously." She said as they headed down, told everyone to have a good day, Minato briefly looked to see Yukari for a moment before looking away and heading out of the dorm, making her sigh as she gave Yukari a hug. "Don't worry about Brother. Just give him time."

"Yeah…" Yukari said as she watched the other girl head out to join her brother. "I really screwed up…"

"You'll be able to patch it up." Mitsuru said.

"Don't be too sure, Mitsuru." Akihiko said. "She would have to spend a month or more to prove her worth of his trust. I can tell that much, a little sister is something precious to him and his life second."

Yukari just felt more depressed by this. "How do I patch something that I didn't realize I tore up?"

Mitsuru glared at Akihiko, who held his hands up, before looking back at the depressed girl. "You're a bright young woman, Takeba, you will find a way to gain back at least a small piece. For now just let him cool down and wait for him to come to you, he'll be ready then."

Yukari looked at the red haired woman, unsure and studying before she said about going to stay in her room today and study.

When the other girl was gone, the seniors were back in a moment of peace.

"You know it's not that easy, right?" Akihiko said to Mitsuru, who nodded.

"I never said when it will happen, but I understand it's not easy." She said. "Then again I have no experience of having a sibling, but I do have my father, and he's my precious someone that I want to protect. And in a way, I can easily understand how Minato-kun's feelings." She looked up at him. "And you have experience in your court."

Akihiko remained silent as he looked out of the window.

xxxxx

In Iwatodai strip mall, the twins saw their friends in different ends of the restaurant and went to them.

"Hey man." Minato said as Kazushi looked up and greeted him in kind.

"Hey Minato! What's been going on?" He asked as he noticed a bruise. "Damn man, what happened?"

"Got into a fight. Some asshole tried to make a move on my sister."

"Did you win?"

"No, but thankfully a Senpai came over and kicked ass. Hope I get to see him again, I still owe him one for getting rid of that creep." Minato said as he waved it off. "But enough about me. How are things going on your end?"

"Still the same." Kazushi said as he chuckled. "Wouldn't it be funny if all the problems with my knee turned out to be just growing pains?" He tried to make a joke. "But, I don't wanna get any more muscular than this. It's not like I'm trying out for pro light-weight wrestling." He seemed to be thoughtful as Minato ate his meal.

"Oh, you can have my rice if you want, I'm trying to cut down on carbs."

"You on a diet?" Minato asked. 'First Yuko now Kazushi? What are the odds?'

"Yeah. These days, I'm getting kinda fat, so I need to watch what I eat. It'll take everything I've got for me to win at regionals."

"You do know that you do need some carbs to keep some parts of the body functioning, right?"

"I know, I just can't have too much."

"Have you talked to the doctor about this? Because sometimes a person needs carbs to keep themselves functioning, and others really do need to cut a lot back. How well do you know your body?"

"Wow, you sure know your stuff."

"I'm just concerned, since I'm the only one who knows what's really going on with you, and I really hope it doesn't get any worse."

"You and me both!" Kazushi said as they laughed and talked about something else.

xxx

With Minako and Rio, Minako was almost done with her meal when she noticed Rio was just moving her fried shrimp around when she noticed that she was done.

"Oh, sorry. Are you done eating already?" Rio said as she pointed to the shrimp she was just mindlessly probing not too long ago. "You can have my fried shrimp if you want…"

Minako noticed that Rio hardly touched her food. "Is everything alright?" She asked.

"It just suddenly tasted really oily to me…" Rio said as she sighed. "I guess I'm just a little tired of thinking about different things."

"You don't look that great. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am, sorry." Rio said as she managed to smile. "Sorry, I'm the one that invited you here…"

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you did."

"Thanks…" She said, looking better. "I feel like I can share some of your vigor when I'm with you…"

"Well, borrow away! I feel like I have too much of it to keep to myself." She said, making the other girl laugh as they talked about random stuff before they were done and parted ways and she met up with her brother. "How was your day?"

"It was good, made me feel better." Minato said as they headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they went into the lounge, they were greeted by Junpei and Akihiko as Minako joined Junpei and the seniors, while Minato noticed Yukari over at the kitchen bar and sighed.

Minato headed over to Yukari and tapped her shoulder, startling her. "Yo." He said as she turned to face him. "Mind going out for coffee?"

Yukari was surprised to hear this as she looked at the group, Minako and Junpei mentioning her to take the offer and she nodded, unsurely.

Minato mentioned her to lead the way and they headed out of the dorm.

"You think they'll be okay?" Junpei asked.

"Last night was Brother's way to get his point across. Now I don't know what he has in mind..." She said as she crossed her fingers. "Here's to hoping that things go well."

"You and me both." Junpei said as he clapped his hands. "Anyways! Who's up for a game?"

"Shouldn't you be working on something?" Mitsuru said. "I've seen your grades…"

Junpei seemed to lose confidence on that when Minako patted his shoulder.

"Come on, Junpei, I'll help you." She said as she managed to get him off the couch and headed up to the stairs after they said good night to the seniors.

xxx

Meanwhile, at the café, Minato and Yukari were sitting in the many available seats and were sitting across from each other. He took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "Sorry for blowing up at you yesterday, but I needed you to understand what was on my mind, and I couldn't do that with Sissy or anyone around."

"I understand…" Yukari said.

"And I didn't mean to tell you something as personal as Sissy's brush of death, but now you know why I was like that, and how I can be like that when it comes to my sister."

"Yes…"

"But now I want you to know that, yes, you screwed up, but no one was too badly hurt, and that's a blessing." He said as he saw the hopeful look in her eyes. "And, in life we make more mistakes than we do solutions, but last night we were very lucky, I hope you realized that."

"Yes, I realized that." Yukari said with a sigh. "I guess… being in Tartarus made me believe it can be the same outside of it…"

"In Tartarus we're dealing with Shadows that have limited thought and pure basic animalistic desire to fight to survive. Outside we're dealing with numerous morons that have physical means to harm when approaching it the wrong way."

"Like last night…"

"Yeah. And another thing…" He said as he took another sip. "You really should be careful of what you say…" He said as he leaned forward a bit. "You kinda have a bad habit of saying things at the wrong place wrong time."

"That was only once."

"Remember the first day of school? When you practically begged me and Sissy to keep quiet about 'last night'?"

"You remembered that?" Yukari said with a blush.

"Of course I remembered it. It was so hilarious and dumb at the same time that I would have to be an idiot to forget." He said with a chuckle. "And a good thing too, it's a perfect example to bring up."

Yukari groaned. "I get it, I'm being tortured for being a reckless idiot… How long do you plan to keep doing this?"

"What? Reminding you about what happened? Probably until you and I go our separate ways. Because you can't take back the past."

Yukari blushed in embarrassment as she sighed.

"Like Junpei, you're going to have to make up this one way or another." He said as he took another sip before putting down his empty mug. "But unlike Junpei, he didn't lose my trust like you did." He looked at her as she seemed guilty. "However…" She looked up at him. "I can see you understand this now and I can at least believe that you will not try that kind of thing again and still be able to fight along-side of all of us." He held out his hand. "Can I believe you on that?"

Yukari nodded as she grasped his hand. "You can count on that."

"Good." He said as he let go of her hand and got up from his seat. "We better get back, we have a teacher to talk to tomorrow. The mystery isn't closed just yet."

"Right!" Yukari said as she followed him out.

"And another thing I almost forgot to mention."

"What's that?"

"Leave the leading to me and Sissy."

"Understood…"

"Good." He said as he felt a stir in his chest, knowing that he had formed a bond with her. And with that they headed back to the dorm, where they saw the seniors gauging them as he gave them a thumbs up and excused himself to his room.

Yukari bowed to them, excusing herself to her room as well as she headed up the stairs.

"Sounds like they've somewhat made up." Akihiko said. "Probably straightened some things out."

"As long as they can continue to function as a team, any method used to keep the peace with each other is enough for me." Mitsuru said as she got up. "I think I shall retire as well. Tomorrow will be yet another stressful day."

"Because of the fact that Fuuka is missing this whole time and Edoka-san covering it up?"

"Yes…"

"I never did like him."

"That's why I had to use contacts to get you to move out of his subject teaching."

"I still owe you for that." He said as she chuckled.

"You being my partner in all this is enough of a debt paid." She said as she headed up to her room.


	54. Episode 53: Rescuing Fuuka pt1

Ep. 53: Rescuing Fuuka pt. 1

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/8-

The next morning, they came to school as they usually did, planning on confronting the teacher at lunch, even figured out a plan to do so. At lunch, they headed over to the faculty office and entered, only to see Mitsuru and another student with the teacher they were after.

"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai." Yukari said, a bit surprised to see her. "Why are you here?"

"Same reason as you." Mitsuru said as she faced the teacher and student again. "Edoka-san, I'm here to ask you about a student named Yamagishi Fuuka…"

"No!" The brunette called out as she looked panicked. "I-I never thought it'll turn out like this… Fuuka…"

"Wait…" Yukari said as she recognized the girl "You're that girl…"

"What did you do to Yamagishi?" Mitsuru asked.

"Hold on, Mitsuru…" Mr. Edoka said. "This isn't an interrogation." He looked at the brunette. "Natsuki, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. You wouldn't want to give her the wrong idea."

"Well you're doing a pretty lousy job for her, Edoka-san." Minato said.

"You be quiet!"

"Minato-kun, thank you for your input, but please let me handle this."

"Understood, Senpai."

"Fuuka… She…" The girl, Natsuki, started to say. "She always looked so frazzled whenever I gave her a hard-time… Then, I realized… She's an honor student, but deep inside, she's just the same as us. I knew exactly which buttons to push. We were just messin' with her that day, too!" She took a deep breath. "May twenty-ninth… We took Fuuka to the gym… and locked the door from the outside…"

"What!? You locked her in!?" Junpei said, shocked to hear this.

"That night, Maki returned to school alone. She was afraid we'd get in trouble if Fuuka committed suicide. But, she never came back… and the next morning…"

"She was found lying on the ground by the gate." Yukari finished.

"I went to the gym to let Fuuka out, but the door was still locked… So, I opened it and went inside, but she wasn't there… We all freaked out. Starting that night, we went out looking for her. But every night, another one of us went missing… and they each ended up like Maki!"

"I see…" Mitsuru said as she seemed concerned before looking at Mr. Edoka with a different kind of look. "By the way, Edoka-san… All this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to 'illness'. But in reality, she was missing. You must have been aware of that…" She glared at him. "What was your intention?"

"I was thinking of the students, of course."

Junpei coughed, but the others knew he was actually saying 'bullshit', and none of them can disagree with him.

"You children may not understand, but we have to consider the future of everyone affected."

"You mean, you chose not to report this to the police for the 'good of the class'."

"It-It was in her best interest. I wouldn't want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree!"

"So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher…" Mitsuru said, her voice rising in anger. "How despicable!"

The teacher gasped at her intense icy glare. "I-I didn't… I was just…"

"Any teacher who would put one student to be a sacrifice to something as 'saving face'…" Minato said as Minako finished. "Doesn't have the right to be called a teacher, let alone have respect as one. How are we to trust a teacher like that?"

"Finely put." Mitsuru put in as she looked at Natsuki. "About your friends… Did you notice anything unusual before the incidents? Anything at all."

Natsuki was silent for a moment as she seemed to think about it. "They all heard a voice… A creepy voice. Right before each of them went missing." She looked up to Mitsuru. "They said it was calling their name."

"Oh, man…" Junpei said quietly.

"Senpai, could it be..." Yukari said as she looked at the red head, who nodded.

"It's them… no doubt about it." She said as she glared at the teacher, signaling him to get the hell out if he wants to keep his skin, which he promptly left, and looked back at the group while Natsuki was in her own guilt filled world. "Until now, there was no way of knowing how or why some people are conscious during the Dark Hour. But, it's the voice; it draws them in. It's not a random phenomenon." She sighed. "This whole thing has made me realize… They're clearly targeting humans. Shadows are the enemy of mankind." She looked back at Natsuki. "Stay at our dorm tonight; it's the safest place. If you hear the voice, tell us immediately. And don't leave the room, no matter what." She placed a hand on Natsuki's shoulder. "If you can do that much, you should be okay. Don't worry, Yamagishi should be alright as well."

"Fuuka…" Natsuki said quietly, looking as though she hadn't slept in some time and looked like she was bearing a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Mitsuru looked at the four juniors in the room. "Arisato, Iori and Takeba, too. We'll meet after school in the Student Council Room to discuss tonight's operation."

"T-Tonight!?" Junpei said, surprised by this.

"We're going to rescue Yamagishi." Mitsuru said. "If my guess is right, she's still inside the school."

"U-Understood!" Yukari said as the warning bell rang.

"We'll see you in the room then, Senpai." Minato said as he and the others filed out.

xxxxx

Soon, classes have finally ended and the four juniors entered the Student Council Room, where they saw Mitsuru and Akihiko already there.

"So what's our plan of action?" Minato asked, though he knows it was clear what it's going to be.

"Tonight, we will infiltrate the campus." Mitsuru said. "Our objective is to rescue Yamagishi Fuuka."

"Um, I don't get it…" Junpei said. "Is Fuuka inside the school somewhere?"

"And why at night?" Yukari said. "At midnight, this place turns into—"

"Exactly." Mitsuru said. "That's how Yamagishi wandered into Tartarus."

"Then, ever since Fuuka got locked in the gym, she's been stuck there?" Yukari said, making sure she got it right.

"That's correct."

"But, that as ten days ago!" Junpei said. "That means…"

"Not necessarily." Akihiko said. "We can't jump to conclusions. Tartarus only appears during the Dark Hour. So, what about the rest of the day?"

"Now that you mention it…" Yukari said.

"This is only a theory, but I think time may function differently with respect to Tartarus." Akihiko continued. "So, even though it's been ten days for us, perhaps only ten hours have passed for her. It's possible she's still alive."

"Wow, ya think so!?" Junpei said. "Uh, but the Dark Hour is pretty brutal… We can barely handle an hour; how's she gonna last ten!?"

"That's true…" Yukari said. "And, even if she's still alive, we might not be able to get to her…"

"Are you just gonna let her die, then!?" Akihiko said, a bit ticked, but in control.

"I'm not." Minako said. "No matter what, we have to at least find out."

"Sissy's right. Alive or not, we still have to get her out of there." Minato said.

"I have an idea." Akihiko said. "Let's try to enter Tartarus exactly how Fuuka did." Everyone looked at him. "We'll go to the gym, and wait for midnight. That's the quickest way."

"Is that really gonna work?" Yukari asked.

"If it worked for Fuuka, it should work for us as well." Minako said. "What do we have to lose?"

"That's not what I meant." Yukari said.

"Honestly, I have reservations." Mitsuru said. "If something goes wrong, you could all end up lost in Tartarus too. But…"

"I won't stand by and do nothing if there's a chance we can save her…" Akihiko cut in. "I'd never forgive myself. If you guys don't want to go, then I'll go by myself."

"I'm with Senpai here." Minato said. "Like me and Sissy said earlier, we still have to find her. I know if either of us went missing like Fuuka did, I would expect at least one person who would rather fight than sit and think about the 'what ifs'."

"Same with me, I'm going as well." Minako said. "I may not know her, but that doesn't mean I'm not putting any effort to find her."

"Senpai… Minato-kun… Minako-chan…" Yukari said, surprised by this.

"Thanks you two." Akihiko said.

"We feel the same way you do, it's only natural." Minato said with a smile.

Mitsuru sighed, knowing that the three were not going to change their minds. "Alright." She said with a nod. "We're aware the risks, but we can't just leave her there."

"I agree. And we won't know until we try." Yukari said.

"That's the spirit!" Minako said.

Junpei chuckled. "You guys are crazy as usual." He commented to the twins as he grinned. "Cool, we get to sneak into the school!" He chuckled. "In that case, I know just what to do…"

"Huh?" Yukari said as the twins tilted their heads to the side.

"First off, we have to make sure Natsuki is secure in the room and wait for the Chairman." Mitsuru said.

"What are we doing here then?" Minato said. "Let's get back to the dorm to get ready."

"Yes Leader Minato!" Junpei joked. "Anything to add, Leader Minako?"

She smiled as she played along. "Just one, get ready for a rough night."

"You got it!" He said as they headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

A few hours later, still some time away from midnight, they met up in the command room, where Mitsuru sighed as she looked worried. "This is a bit worrisome… I can't get a hold of the Chairman."

"I guess we can handle it ourselves." Minako said.

"Not like that's anything new." Minato said.

"Just one problem though." Mitsuru said. "Without the Chairman's help, I'm not sure how we can get inside the school…"

"No need to worry." Junpei said, looking proud. "I've got it all set to go."

"Set to go?" Mitsuru voiced, looking confused. "An explosive?" She then chuckled. "Alright, I'll let you handle this."

"We don't have time to waste." Akihiko said. "Let's go." With that the seniors went ahead as the juniors followed behind.

"An explosive?" Yukari asked. "For real?"

"Nah…" Junpei said with a shake of his head. "All I did as unlock a door."

The twins smiled and chuckled at this.

xxxxx

When they reached to the school, they followed Junpei around the side of the school, where he simply opened the unlocked door he mentioned earlier.

"See? We got in no problem." Junpei said proudly. "Man, I'm a genius!"

"You sure thought ahead." Minato said. "I'm impressed."

"Is that really something to brag about?" Yukari asked.

"In this situation, yes." Minako said. "We are saving a life after all."

"R-Right…"

"So, you unlocked it earlier…" Mitsuru said, impressed as well. "Tres bien!"

"Oui." Akihiko said, looking like he's ready for a fight. "No time for compliments. Let's go." He said as the two seniors went on ahead.

"What's the big deal, anyway?" Yukari said, not getting why the seniors were complimenting something that would be seen in a not so great light.

"Tray Ben? What is that, French?" Junpei said as he looked lost. "Lousy seniors and their lousy French."

"Il n'est pas si mauvais que vous le pensez." Minako said, shocking the two.

"You know French!?"

"Spent at least a year and a half in France." Minato said. "And she said 'It is not as bad as you may think'. Now let's get going. We can't have the seniors have all the fun."

xxxxx

Everyone met up in 2-F classroom, where it was pretty dark and creepy at night.

"Can we turn on the lights?" Yukari asked.

"Aww, you scared?" Junpei teased.

"No!" She said. "Stupei."

"Stop callin' me that!"

"Quiet." Akihiko said, since the two were getting loud. "It's better if we leave 'em off. They cut the power at night anyway."

"I don't like sneaking around…" Yukari said.

"We really don't have a choice in the matter if we're going to save someone." Minato said.

"First," Mitsuru said, gaining everyone's attention "we have to find the key to the gym. We'll split up into two groups and meet in the main hallway on the first floor. One group to the Faculty office, and the second to the janitor's room. Understood?"

"The Faculty Office, huh?" Junpei said with a grin as he elbowed Minato. "Hey, maybe we'll find some test questions!" He chuckled.

"Maybe I should go to the Faculty Office too…" Akihiko said. "It sounds interesting."

Mitsuru's eye twitched. "Are you planning something unscrupulous under my supervision?" She said as she smiled in a way that promised pain to come. "If so, then expect to be severely punished."

"It-It was a joke! I'd never do something like that!" Junpei said as he chuckled nervously.

"All I meant by 'interesting' was that there's a higher chance of finding the key there…" Akihiko said.

'Nice save.' Minato thought.

"Enough with the excuses. Let's go to the janitor's room." Mitsuru said, eyeing the two before looking at the other three.

"Uh, can I have a say in this?" Minato said. "I can understand Junpei coming along with you, but Senpai's grades are decent enough for him not to be desperate."

Mitsuru considered this as she nodded. "I can see your point." She looked at the two. "Being leaders, you will decide who you take to go with."

"I'll go with you and Junpei." Minato said as he patted his sister's head. "And I can trust both Senpai and Sissy here together to the Faculty Office. At least she's too noble to even look for any test answers and can deliver a mean guilt trip if Senpai ever does stray off."

"Hey."

"That would leave with Yukari to make a choice. Because either way it would work out." Minato said as he looked at Yukari. "Have you decided which group you want to be in?"

Yukari was surprised to hear this as she nodded. "I'll go with you guys…"

"That settles it." Minato said. "Four of us head to the Janitors and two head to the Faculty Office. Sounds reasonable considering the locations."

"It's very sound indeed." Mitsuru said. "We'll meet back up in the main hallway."

"Roger." Minako said as she and Akihiko left first, taking a left from the room to get to the Faculty Office's short cut.

"Alright, let's get this over with." Yukari said as she, Minato, and the rest headed the opposite direction to find the janitor's room.

xxxxx

With Minako and Akihiko, they were in the main hallway, they were headed to the hallway where the office is located, only for Akihiko to stop them.

"Hold up, someone's coming!" He said as they heard footsteps getting closer. "Who'd be here at this hour?" He grabbed her hand. "We should hide." With that they went behind the pillar, Minako's back against the stone, keeping her hands over her chest to make her smaller while Akihiko was standing a bit close to her that she could feel his body heat as they held their breath when the light from the flashlight was seen on the floor to the side of them, then moved up to the wall.

'Don't come closer… Don't come closer…' Minako thought as the footsteps were heading the opposite direction from them and didn't let out a sigh of relief until she couldn't hear the footsteps any more. "That was close…"

Akihiko agreed with a sigh of his own. "Just a security guard."

"Let's go find that key before he decides to come back here." She said as he nodded.

"Yeah, good idea." He said as he cautioned his way out from behind the pillar and mentioned her to come over. "Alright, he's gone. Let's go." He mentioned to move as they headed to the hallway and to the door where the Faculty Office is located. "Doesn't look like anyone is inside. Let's be quick about this."

"Right." She said as they entered the room. "Which one is the P.E. teacher's desk. That's the best place to find a gym key."

"My thought's exactly." He said as he went up to one desk, and opened the drawer. "Here, I found it! The gym storage key!"

She raised a brow. "Wasn't it the gym key?"

"Huh!? I-I see."

"I'm sure it's in there somewhere." She said as he nodded as he rummaged through the keys.

"Apparently they trust the P.E. teacher with all the damn keys…" He said as he didn't see the key with the words 'Gym' on it. "No good… It's not here." He sighed. "Must be in the janitor's room, where Mitsuru and the others went." He walked away from the desk when he noticed that she wasn't moving. "What're you waiting for? Let's go." He saw her pick up the key they were looking for and he was shocked to see the key was right where he could've seen it. "What!? How in the… Where on earth did that come from!?"

"It's dark in here, Senpai." Minako said. "I wasn't sure it was the right key until you moved away from the desk." She handed it to him, who took it.

"Well, at least we found it." He said as they headed to the doors, looked to see if there was anyone coming up. "C'mon, let's find the others! They said to meet up in the main hallway, right? We should get going."

"Right!" She said as she followed back to the main hallway.

xxx

Meanwhile, after parting with Akihiko and Minako, Minato and the others headed the opposite way to find the janitor's office.

"Arisato, you and Takeba stay out here on look out." Mitsuru said. "Iori and I will look around. There should be a security guard on duty tonight. Let us know if you hear him come."

"Right." Minato said as the senior and Junpei went into the janitor's office while he and Yukari took look out duty.

"Uh…" Yukari was about to say.

"Don't talk until we have the key on hand. We need to listen for anything that may come up." Minato said seriously, not looking at her.

She nodded as she did hear something. "Do you hear that?" She whispered as they did hear footsteps coming up. "Th-There's someone else here?"

"Must be the guard Senpai warned us about." Minato whispered as he lightly knocked on the door. "Stay still." He told the occupants in the office as he mentioned Yukari to follow him to a place to hide, which they did, around the corner of the hall as he pressed her up against the wall and waited until the guard left. Once the footsteps faded, he sighed. "That was close…" He said as he noticed the position he was on with Yukari up against the wall and parted away from her. "Let's see how Senpai and Junpei are doing." He said as he felt his face warming up.

Yukari was also a bit flustered, but she quickly composed herself as they found Mitsuru and Junpei meeting up with them. "Find it?"

"No, so it must be were Akihiko and Minako are." Mitsuru said. "Let's head over to the main hallway."

"Right." Minato said as they headed there, where they saw Minako and Akihiko just heading out of the hallway to meet up with them.

"Did you find the key?" Mitsuru asked.

"Yeah, piece of cake!" Akihiko said.

Mitsuru nodded as she looked at everyone. "We'll divide into teams again. Three or four of you will enter Tartarus, and one or two of you will remain outside with me. Once the Dark Hour has begun, I'll determine Yamagishi's position."

"I'll go." Akihiko said.

"I'm going as well." Minako said.

"Then I'm going too." Minato said. "We don't know what we'll be facing once we're up there."

"Alright, you two can decide who should lead once we're in."

"Then I'm coming too." Yukari said.

"Wait a second!" Junpei said. "Remember how I accidentally screwed up on the monorail? Gimme a chance to make up for that!"

"Oh, come on! It's not always about YOU! Besides, you didn't 'accidentally' screw up."

"Okay, you'll come with us, Junpei." Minato said.

"But-!"

"It's not about YOU either!" Minato said with a look. "He screwed up last time on a serious operation like this, so it's only fair that he should prove himself in an equally, if not more serious operation such as this. You will have your chance soon."

"Thanks dude." Junpei said.

"But…"

"What's wrong, Yukari?" Akihiko asked. "You don't want to stay behind with Mitsuru?" This unintentionally got the twins' attention.

"Um, n-no, it's fine." Yukari said, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Mitsuru looked at her watch. "It's almost time." She said.

"Let's go." Akihiko said.

"Right, to the gym we go." Minato said as he, his sister, and the other two rushed to the gym, opened the doors, and entered it.

"Man… doesn't this place give you the creeps?" Junpei said as Akihiko closed the gym doors behind him.

"Any place at night can be considered creepy, Junpei." Minako said as she held her brother's hand. "And why do I get a bad feeling about this?"

"It could just be you." Minato said as he held her hand tightly.

"It's almost time…" Akihiko said as the minute hand was close to the twelve mark as the second hand moved quickly as it finally hit midnight, triggering the Dark Hour.

"Whoa!" Junpei said as the area seemed to move. "What's going on!?"

"Senpai! Junpei!" Minako called out as both young men called out.

"Damn!" Minato said as he held his sister as everything around them changed dramatically. "Hang on!" He called out as she held onto him tightly.

xxxxx

Back in the dorm, Natsuki sat on the bed in the vacant room, holding herself as she sighed. "I'm all alone, after all… Fuuka…" Then she heard something. "Hm?" She kept hearing it as she held her hands over her ears. "No… No! I don't wanna hear this!" But the voice seemed to be inside her mind as well as she put her hands down slowly. "…calling me… I… I have to go…" She sounded as if she were in a trance. "…tell her I'm sorry… Fuuka…" She headed to the door and opened it, making her way out of the dorm.

xxxxx

Meanwhile at the entrance of Tartarus, Mitsuru was trying to get into contact with the second group as she and Yukari waited.

"Umm…" Yukari started to voice.

"We still haven't heard back from them…" Mitsuru said, looking concerned. "The transceiver's sensitivity is set to high, too…"

Yukari felt a bit out of place as she tried to make conversation with the other girl. "O-Oh yeah, that girl, Natsuki… I hope she's okay at the dorm…"

"Unfortunately, no place is completely safe in the Dark Hour." Mitsuru said seriously, still concentrating to get in contact with someone. "But, we couldn't possibly bring her here, and one of us staying behind was out of the question."

"Yeah… I guess so…" Yukari said, feeling uncomfortable. "But, we're all here for Fuuka's sake—"

_"Mitsuru, can you hear me?"_ Akihiko's voice was heard through the transceiver.

"This is Mitsuru. I've confirmed your position. You're higher up than I expected… You're barely in communication range. Is everyone alright?"

_"…don't know… …got separ…"_ Akihiko tried to say as the transceiver was breaking up.

"Akihiko! Come in, Akihiko!"

"Is he out of range? I'm starting to get worried…" Yukari said as she looked up at the clockwork entryway. 'I hope they're okay…'


	55. Episode 54: Rescuing Fuuka pt2

Ep. 54: Rescuing Fuuka pt. 2

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Deteremined

-6/8-

Inside Tartarus, the twins were on the dark tiled floor as Minato woke up and looked around to see that they were in Tartarus, but there was no sign of Akihiko or Junpei, and shook his sister awake, which didn't take too much effort as she got up.

"This looks like one of the floors we managed to get on the other night. The gothic floors." She said.

"Yeah, it does, but looks like we were separated from the others."

"Mitsuru-senpai?" Minako called, but couldn't get a hold of her. "No good."

"So you two are awake." The twins turned to see the mysterious boy there. "This is the first time we've spoken outside of your room." He said with a smile.

"Why are you here?" Minato said, surprised to see the boy there as he chuckled.

"I told you, remember? I'm always with you. But, we don't have much time to talk." He seemed a bit concerned when he said this. "Tonight, there is more than one ordeal you must face…" He looked at them expectantly. "You should hurry… She's waiting for you. You guys will need her." He smiled once again. "Okay, then… I hope we can speak again." With that he disappeared.

"Brother…"

"Yeah… I saw him too…" Minato said as he looked around. "But we'll figure that out once we find the others, get Fuuka, and get the hell out of here."

"Yeah." She said as she was able to catch a bit of Mitsuru's voice. "Mitsuru-senpai?"

"…_distance… too far… can't… provi-… back up. You got s-… from Akihi—"_ Then communication was lost.

"We have to find the others." Minato said as they started to move, only to catch Mitsuru again.

"_Akihiko and… aren't... this floor…"_

"Okay, we have to keep moving up." Minato said as Minako nodded when they heard a different voice.

"_Who's there? Are you human?"_

"What was that?" Minako asked.

"Don't know… But we won't find the guys on this floor." With that they found the stairs to continue up, where they got another chance to hear Mitsuru, asking for them to reply to find their location in broken static.

"_Where am I? Why am I here? Please answer me…"_ Said the mysterious voice.

"Hello!?" Minako called out. "Anyone here!?" She waited for a response, but none came as they continued to look for another set of stairs before they heard Mitsuru's broken pleas of hearing from them and another clear mysterious young girl's voice asking for a reply all while they were avoiding Shadows if they were able as they found another set of stairs to head up one floor.

"Senpai! Junpei!" Minako called as they walked down the hall when they heard some voices, male, and calling out to them.

"That sounds like Junpei!" Minato said.

"And Senpai!" She said as they rushed to where the voices are and found the two of them in an open area, both young men happy to see them.

"Hey, there they are!" Junpei said. "Man, we were worried about you."

"I don't think we should enter Tartarus this way again." Akihiko said.

"Agreed." Minato said. "This is a great way to get ambushed…"

"Oh yeah!" Junpei said. "Did you hear a voice while you were in here? Uh, kinda like-"

"Who is this? Are you human?"

"Th-That's it! That's the voice!" Junpei said as he looked behind him. "It sounded like it came from behind us…"

No sooner as he said this, a pale faced girl came out from the corner of the hallway, looking surprised to see them. "Ah…"

"Are you Yamagishi Fuuka?" Akihiko asked.

"Y-Yes…" She said.

"Wow, you're alive! That's awesome!" Junpei said, happy and surprised to see the girl unharmed. "Never fear, Junpei's here!" He smiled.

"Thank goodness…" Minako said with a relieved sigh. "You had us worried."

"I'm glad you're okay." Akihiko said, looking relieved as well. "Come with us."

Fuuka looked relieved to see them. "Thank you so much… I…" She said as Minato gave her his jacket.

"You look like you're freezing."

"Th-Thank you… Um…"

"Minato… Arisato Minato…"

"Looks like we made the right decision." Akihiko said as he got his transceiver out. "I'll see if I can contact Mitsuru."

"Where are we?" Fuuka asked. "I was at school, and then…"

"Well…" Junpei started "it's a long story. I'll explain after we get outta here."

Minako took out something from her pocket and handed it out to Fuuka. "Here, it's not much, but it should make you feel better." She said as she held out a piece of chocolate.

"Oh, thank you." She said as she took the piece of chocolate.

"Not a problem. I'm Minako, Minato's little twin sister."

"I've heard of twin transfer students, but I didn't realize it was you two." Fuuka said.

"Well, now you know." Minato said with a smile.

"Mitsuru, can you hear me?" Akihiko said, trying to get in contact with the other senior, only to sigh. "No good. All I hear is static."

"We should find those teleport device and tell them in person." Minako said.

"Oh yeah, are ya hurt?" Junpei asked Fuuka, who was starting to look a little better. "Have you run into any monsters?"

"So, there ARE strange creatures in here, then…" Fuuka said, sounding surprised. "I've managed to avoid them so far…"

"Huh?" The group said, surprised to hear this.

"Are you serious!?" Akihiko asked. "How's that possible!?"

"Umm, it's hard to describe, but… I can sort of tell where they are…"

"Whadday mean?" Junpei asked. "Are you psychic?"

"She has the same power as Mitsuru." Akihiko said. "Maybe even stronger…" He studied her "since Mitsuru's Persona is more battle oriented."

"Persona?" Fuuka asked as Akihiko went up to her, digging something out of his jacket.

"Hang on to this." He said as he gave her the Envoker, which made her look surprised.

"B-But, this is…!"

"Think of it as a lucky charm. It's not really a gun." He said as Fuuka looked around to see the rest of the group had one as well in belts round their waists.

"Um… okay?"

"Alright, let's get outta here!" Junpei said with a smile.

"Here, here." Minato said as they wandered to a hallway where there were large windows, showing off a full moon.

"Whoa, check out the moon!" Junpei, gaining everyone's attention. "I've never seen it so bright." Everyone looked as well.

"Some research indicates that the Shadows are affected by the phases of the moon." Akihiko said. "Of course, the same can be said for humans."

"That would explain Yuka-tan's mood swings." Junpei said.

"I don't think the moon has anything to do with that…" Minato said. "But I wouldn't put it pass it if they somehow are related."

"You two are so mean…" Minako said with a sigh.

"Hey, wasn't it a full moon the night we went to the monorail?" Junpei asked.

"Was it?" Akihiko asked.

"I think so… Why?" Junpei asked as Akihiko looked at the twins.

"Hey, did you see the moon on the night the dorm was attacked, back in April?"

The twins were surprised. "I think it was full that night." Minako said. "I remember it being pretty bright for night time, even in the Dark Hour."

"Yeah…" Minato said. "I remember seeing the moon when that Shadow came up on the roof, it almost looked like something from a movie, now that I'm remembering it."

"Today is the eighth… The monorail incident happened last month around the same time…" Akihiko said, looking thoughtful "and the assault on the dorm was a month before that! They were all during a full moon!" He took out the transceiver. "Mitsuru, are you there!?" He called, waiting for a response from the other senior.

"_Akihiko? …Shadows—"_ Mitsuru's voice was heard, but it was still breaking.

"Hey, can you hear me? Mitsuru, come in!"

"_Be caref…"_ Mitsuru said as communication was cut off.

"Mitsuru!? Mitsuru!"

"What is this thing?" Fuuka said as she held the jacket closer to her as she looked surprised. "It's much bigger than the others… and it's attacking someone."

"Dammit!" Akihiko cursed.

"Wh-What's going on!?" Junpei said.

"It's one of THEM!" Akihiko said. "If my guess is right, they come every full moon! We have to hurry!"

"No need to say it twice!" Minato said as they rushed to find the device.

"Come on Junpei!" Minako called back as Junpei stood there, still trying to absorb this.

"H-Hey! Wait for me!" He called out as he went after them.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Mitsuru and Yukari were panting as they faced the two Shadows before them, one looking like an Emperor, and the other like and Empress, as the Emperor knocked Mitsuru to the ground with a strong attack.

"Ugh… uh…" She grunted as Yukari shot an arrow to one, but it didn't have any effect.

"What's going on!? Nothing's working!" Yukari called out when the device glowed and out came Akihiko and the others.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko called as he and the others saw the Shadows.

"What in the world!?" Fuuka said, surprised to see them.

"Akihiko-senpai! We gotta distract those Shadows somehow!" Junpei called.

"I know how to do it…" Akihiko said as he ran ahead. "Hey! If it's a fight you want," He managed to get a hit in one of them, gaining their attention "we'll give it to you!"

"Be careful…" Mitsuru said as she managed to get up and held her arm. "Normal attacks won't work on these Shadows."

"Good to know." Minato said as he got his Envoker out and placed it to his temple when Minako noticed someone entering the lobby.

"Natsuki-san!?"

"Fuuka…" Natsuki said as she still seemed to be in a trance as she looked at Fuuka.

"Why are you here!?" Mitsuru said, just as surprised to see the girl.

"Moriyama-san!?" Fuuka called, surprised to see the girl there. "Please, get out of here! It's dangerous!"

"I… I wanted to tell you… I'm sorry…" Natsuki said as one of the Shadows noticed her and ready to attack.

"Hey! Look out!" Junpei called, no one able to reach to the girl in time or figured out a counter attack.

"Moriyama-san!" Fuuka said. "I need to protect her!" She looked down at the Envoker in her hand, and placed it to her temple and pulled the trigger, creating a bright light, making the Shadows take a step back and everyone covering their eyes before the light disappeared and she was inside in an orb-like container with a body of a woman from the waist up above her.

"Fuuka-san…" Yukari said, surprised to see this.

"A Persona?" Junpei said, just in awe.

The twins weren't able to say anything as they were too shocked to say anything.

Fuuka opened her eyes and looked at the two Shadows. "I can see…" She started to say. "I… I can sense these monsters' weaknesses, somehow…"

"Just as I thought." Akihiko said as he looked at Mitsuru. "Mitsuru, let her take your place." He then looked back at the two Shadows. "We'll take care of this!"

"Okay! Sissy, Junpei, Senpai, let's make quick work of this!" Minato said. "Fuuka! Give us a good reading of these guys!"

"Right!"

"Mitsuru-senpai and Yukari! You two stay back, you guys did your best!" He said as he quickly figured out a plan before Fuuka can give them a clear reading of their enemy. "Sissy! I'll attack the Queen and you hit the King with a Zio! Senpai! After Sissy hits that Shadow, do a normal punch! Junpei, hit her with an Agi after I attack!"

"Got it!" All of them said as Minato and Minako did their attacks, which both seemed to be effective, followed by the other two's attacks, which hardy did anything.

"All out!" Minato said as they attacked the Shadows all at once before they had to back off as the Shadows got up. "Okay! The Queen is weak against physical attacks! The King elemental! Shock and burn the bastard!"

"Got it!" Junpei said as he summoned Hermes to use Agi again on the king as Minako attacked the queen with her naginata.

"Alright!" Akihiko called as he summoned Polydeuces and used Zio on the king Shadow as Minato used his katana on the queen before going all out on both of them, ending the fight.

"Are there more of them?" Fuuka asked as her Persona disappeared.

"Don't worry, it's over." Akihiko said.

"Fuuka… You…" Natsuki said, looking surprised.

"A-Are you alright?" Fuuka asked as she bent down to the girl's level.

"Yeah…"

Fuuka sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…" She said as she fell onto the girl.

"Fuuka!?" Natsuki called out, panicked.

"It's alright. She's just exhausted." Mitsuru said when the others were about to run over as well.

"Fuuka…" Natsuki said as she started to cry and held onto the girl. "Fuuka, I…"

"Where did these two Shadows come from?" Akihiko asked as he helped Mitsuru up from the ground.

"From somewhere outside of Tartarus, just like before."

"I see…" Akihiko said.

"Um, what are we gonna do about Natsuki?" Yukari asked as everyone looked at the crying girl holding Fuuka. "She saw the Dark Hour, and the Shadows."

"Don't worry, she's not like us," Akihiko said "so she won't remember any of it. The good news is, she didn't fall victim to the Shadows, even though she obviously heard their call. She should be safe from now on."

"That's good to know." Minako said.

"But, that means she'll forget Fuuka saved her life, right?" Yukari said. "That doesn't seem fair…"

"Actually, I don't think it'll matter." Mitsuru said as she looked at Natsuki.

"I'm sorry, Fuuka… I'm so sorry…" Natsuki continued to say while crying.

"I think she's learned her lesson."

Minato looked at Natsuki and remembered when he did the same thing with his sister. "Let's get them out of here before the Dark Hour is up. Fuuka needs to go to a hospital as soon as we head out of here." He said as he looked at the two seniors. "I'll trust you two with that. The rest of us will head back to the dorm for some rest." With that they left Tartarus and headed back to the dorm.


	56. Episode 55: Forgiven?

Ep. 55: Forgiven?

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/9-

_The boy didn't know what happened as he looked up at the night sky as he looked down to see his sister on top of him. He got up, only to see that his chest was soaked with blood coming from the top of her head and started to panic as he placed his small hand on her head, his hand covered in blood when he did._

"_Sissy! Sissy! Wake up! Sissy!" He cried as he held his sister to his chest, seeing her face pale and smeared with her own blood, looking as if she was in a deep sleep. He continued to cry out for his sister to wake up when he heard someone come up and looked up, hoping this person can help him._

"Toto-nii!" Minako called out, making blue eyes open and looked to see her red ones.

"Sissy?"

"You were having a bad dream…" She said as she helped him sit up on his bed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" He said as he sighed. "Just a bit exhausted…" He looked at the time and decided that it was time to get up and dress for school. "This is going to be a long day…"

"Yeah…" She said as she finished her morning routine before both of them headed out to get to school, where Yukari came up to them.

"Hey, I was thinking…" She said.

"Good morning to you too." Minato said, showing that he wasn't really in the mood if not for his sister to help him.

"Oh, sorry… Morning…" Yukari said as she wasn't sure if she should continue.

"What's on your mind?" Minako asked, being more inviting than her brother at the moment.

"Well… Do you think Mitsuru-senpai saved Fuuka because it was the right thing to do? Or was it because she's a Persona-user and we need her?"

The twins stopped walking to look at her.

"For the right reasons… Yukari-chan." Minato said. "Something you should learn from."

Yukari seemed surprised as well as unsure, but can sense that the brother didn't forget that night. "I-I guess so. Well, whether or not she joins us is up to her…" She said as she felt a little uncomfortable. "Sorry to bring this up out of the blue." She rushed towards the school.

Minako looked at her brother, not liking how her brother was treating Yukari. "Don't you think she has enough?"

"Sorry, Sissy…" He said as he sighed. "That bad dream… it was the time when I thought I was going to lose you…"

Minako understood then and held her brother's hand. "Toto-nii, I understand you're afraid to lose me, but don't let that out on Yukari or anyone who don't mean to get me hurt. It's not fair to them, and it's hurting me." She looked at her brother. "Please make peace with Yukari."

Minato sighed as he nodded. "I'll do my best, for your sake."

"Thank you…" She said as they headed to school and spent the day doing their classes until it ended.

xxxxx

"Hey, Yukari," Minato said as he went up to Yukari. "Want to hang out?"

"Uh… s-sure…" She said as she followed him out of the classroom while Minako headed to do her health committee with Saori.

With Minako, she and Saori talked most of the time where there were hardly any students coming in.

"Wow, is that how that teacher is?" Saori said when Minako described one of her teachers as she giggled. "I didn't know at all. I learn so much when I talk to you, Minako-chan… I never get to hear all these rumors that go around the school."

"That's a good thing, because a lot of times its way out of proportion." Minako said, enjoying her time with the other girl, both laughing when a male student came in.

"H-Hey, Saori-san." He said as he stood in front of Saori with a smirk on his face.

"Oh, umm… Takaoka-kun." Saori said. "What's wrong? Are you not feeling—"

"Uh, would you be interested in going out for karaoke?" He asked.

"Okay?" Saori said, looking surprised.

"Seriously? Then, how about today?" The male student asked, seeming eager about it.

"I still have some things to do here today, so…" She said.

"Aww, I'll wait around." He said with a wave of his hand. "Let's go once you're free."

"Oh… Okay then."

"Well, I'll be waiting in the classroom." He said as he left the room.

Minako thought that was really strange as she saw the deer-in-the-headlights look on the other girl's face. "Are you okay?"

"That was sudden. It surprised me."

"Do you get along with him?"

"To be honest… I don't know him all that well… But if he really wants to go out with me, then…"

Minako didn't like to see this side of the girl. "You need to stand up for yourself!"

This made the other chuckle. "It's not that big a deal." She said with a laugh. "I don't really have any opinions of my own. If there's someone willing to take the lead, I'll gladly follow…" She smiled softly. "I don't need someone… I just want to be needed by someone else." She smiled a bit more. "If I can find someone who needs me, I'd love that person with every fiber of my being. Do you think it's wrong to think that way?"

"I guess I understand." Minako said.

"Really? I'm happy to hear that." She said with a giggle.

Minako could feel her bond getting stronger with the other as Saori looked up at the clock.

"Oh my, look at the time." She said as she looked at Minako. "I should get going. I did promise after all."

"Okay… you have fun." Minako said as they parted ways as she sighed as she headed towards the dorm.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato and Yukari, they headed over to the florist, which confused Yukari.

"Why are we here?" She asked.

"Sissy said that you love flowers. And the ones in our room are starting to wilt." He said as he picked out the flowers on display. "Which one of these flowers did you guys picked?"

She seemed a bit lost as she helped him with the flowers, barely passing a few words to each other before her curiosity got to her. "We're not just here to get flowers, are we?"

"No, but I don't know what to say." Minato said. "I know I've been giving you hell these last few days, and quite honestly, I'm kinda tired of it and Sissy's not happy about it." He looked at her. "Not only am I a leader when we go to Tartarus, but we're school mates at school, and dorm mates at the dorm, which is what we are most of the time when we're not fighting Shadows. And quite honestly, even though I'm not really happy at what happened days ago, right now we're safe and should be enjoying something simple… Like looking at flowers…" He blushed as he said that last part.

Yukari looked at him and nodded. "Yeah… Keep moving forward, right?"

"Yeah, but don't forget the lessons from the past." He said as he looked at one particular flower and chuckled.

"What?"

"Just this flower… I remember Dad bought a huge bouquet of this kind of flower for Mom, but Sissy and I made flower crowns out of them instead." He chuckled. "Dad was so surprised and would've been angry with us if Mom didn't come in at that moment and Sissy was all 'Mommy! Look what I made for you! And Toto-nii made one for Daddy too!'" He smiled as he laughed at the memory. "Mom laughed so much that night and begged Dad to get his camera and take a picture of all of us with them wearing the flower crowns." He sighed as a soft smile appeared as he appeared nostalgic. "It's those kinds of memories that make me realize that life is simple yet spontaneous… Something to keep when times get tough."

Yukari smiled, liking to hear this personal story from him.

"What about you, Yukari?" He asked as he picked up a pink gerbera. "What good memories have you treasured when you were little? Before your father died? Before you grew distant from your mother?"

This question threw her off as she didn't know what to say.

"It's okay if you don't answer right away." He said as he grabbed a few gerberas and went to the cashier to purchase the flowers. "I've learned that we always focus on the painful ones because if we don't, then it seems they never existed if we just think about the good memories." He picked up the pink gerbera he purchased and placed it in her hair. "But if we focus on only the pain of the loss, we would end up forgetting the good." He said as he looked to see the shocked girl with the pink flower in her hair, which looked fitting to him. "And I have to thank you… you and Sissy for making me realize that once again. I was focused on the past that it tied to the present, causing you pain when it shouldn't. Forgive me for that. As I forgive you."

Yukari started to tear up a bit as she nodded.

He felt something stir in his chest as he knew he made his bond with her a little stronger, but it was still a fragile bond they have. "Let's go home." He said as he helped her around the area before going to the dorm, which by then Yukari didn't show signs of tears and was looking a bit better than before.

"So… we're okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, we're okay." He said as they went into the dorm, where they saw Junpei on the couch as he looked up and stared at them.

"You guys aren't going to kill each other are you?" Junpei asked, a bit cautious about the two.

"It's okay, we've made up." Minato said as he sighed. "I'm going to my room." He said as he looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"The Senpais are at the hospital, checking up on Fuuka, and Minako hasn't come in yet. She's at the health committee thing."

"Right, well, let her know that Yukari and I are on good terms."

"Will do!" Junpei said as he went back to playing his game.

"I wonder how she's doing? Fuuka, I mean…" Yukari asked.

"If anything, she's a bit like how me and Sissy did. We'll be seeing her in about a week." He said. "And if we need her or not, is up to her, but if she does join, then it will be a godsend, her ability definitely helped us a lot in the last fight. And since we're in this whole thing to rid the Shadows, someone who doesn't fight but can see their weakness isn't something that we can just pick up. Mitsuru-senpai proved that."

Yukari didn't say anything as he said good night and continued his way up the stairs.

"Heavy stuff…" Junpei said as Yukari sighed and sat down. "You look worn out."

She leaned back on the chair and sighed. "I'm just glad that Minato isn't so angry at me anymore."

Junpei nodded as Minako came in as she looked over at them.

"Hey there." Minako said as she went up to the two. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, Yukari and your bro patched up and the Senpais are at the hospital, so they won't be home until late."

"Oh, okay." She said as she looked at Yukari. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah…" She said as she placed a hand on the flower that Minato placed in.

"Did Toto-nii give you that flower?"

"Y-Yeah… He did…"

Minako smiled brightly. "That's great!"

"Huh?"

"You probably won't believe me, but he and I had really nasty fights as kids, and we each have our own way to show we forgive the other. And Toto-nii's is placing a flower in my hair, and now he's done that with you!"

Yukari blushed as she had no idea that it was practically an honorable gesture from the other.

"What's your way of forgiving?" Junpei asked.

"You're just going to have to find out." Minako said with a wink. "Anyways! I'm going to see if I can't convince Toto-nii to come with me to see the Antique Shop that recently opened. I want to see it with Toto-nii, since we like things like that."

"First the used book store, and now this? What's next? The museum?" Junpei said as Minako laughed.

"At least they have respect for the older things in life." Yukari said. "Besides, Ikutsuki-san said the owner would help us out."

"How the hell can an antique shop owner help us out?" Junpei said as he smiled. "Unless they have this amazing item created a million years ago that can annihilate Shadows."

Yukari sighed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's what it is…"

"I'm sensing the old Yuka-tan coming back." Junpei said with a grin.

"Why are you grinning like that? It's creepy."

"She's back all right!" Minako said as she giggled. "Well! I'm going to steal my brother away from the room and head out to Paulownia mall! Oh, and if Mitsuru-senpai and Senpai get back, then let them know, okay? We won't be that late getting home."

"Will do." Junpei said as she ran up the stairs and a minute later was seen dragging her brother with her, with him looking a bit frazzled. "Have fun!" He called as they rushed out the door. "And they're off."

"I think I'm just going to turn in early."

"Yeah, you look bushed."

"I feel like I was hit by a dozen dodge balls." She said as she made her way up the stairs.

Junpei shook his head. "Yuka-tan, Yuka-tan…" He whispered as he looked down at his game console.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the twins headed to the mall and headed to the antique shop, where they entered to see all kinds of items, some intact, others showing wear and tear, and some that looked restored to their normal new look.

"Welcome." The twins turned to look at a woman who was behind a long table with other antique items such as vases, Victorian perfume bottles, and other such things. "Would you two be the Arisato twins that Officer Kurosawa told me about?" The twins nodded as they went up to the table. "He tells me you're fighting against the Shadows."

"So you know what's going on?" Minato asked.

"Indeed." She said as she mentioned to the shop. "To the public, this is merely an antique shop…" She smiled mysteriously "but privately, I create weapons."

"Weapons?" The twins said in unison.

"They're not ordinary equipment, however. My methods involve fusing weapons with Personas."

The twins were a bit surprised to hear this as the woman told them the special materials they would need if they would be interested in it, telling them that they would find these items dropped from the rare golden Shadow as well as mentioning that she's still researching this working method.

"Depending on the Persona you use in the fusion, you can create special weapons." The woman continued as she shrugged. "All I can tell you is to experiment for yourself."

"We'll keep that in mind." Minato said with a smile. "You got an impressive shop."

"Thank you." She said as the twins thanked her and headed out of the shop.

"What do you think?" Minako asked.

"I don't know… I would have to try it and see if it's even worth the trouble." Minato said.

"I guess." She said as she looked to see the strange, well-dressed man again. "It's that man again." At that moment the man noticed them and mentioned them over, which they did. "Evening sir."

"Evening to you too." The man said as he put up a false apologetic smile. "We ran into a bit of a snag again. Some of the other investors decided to drop out…"

"That's too bad." Minato said.

"That's good though." The man said. "Since there are fewer investors, each person's profits will be even bigger! Do you mind investing a bit more?"

"How much?" Minato asked.

"Just 10,000 yen more. That should be plenty! Are you in?"

The twins nodded as they handed over their money to the man, only to shake his head.

"My foolish little apprentices…" He said as he looked at them. "Have you not realized that you are being deceived? Everything I've said has clearly been suspicious!" He sighed. "Ignorance should be a crime. Sure, you have some positive qualities, but if you remain so naïve, everyone will take advantage of you." He then smiled a bit. "Stick with me, and I'll show you how to be a winner." He saw that the two were just looking at him, studying him and he faked a chuckle. "Very well, you two… if you insist, I'll give you my autograph. It's always a pleasure to meet a fan."

Minato then recognized the man. "Wait… could you be…"

The man sighed. "Yes, it's so very difficult being famous… I can't hardly go anywhere without being recognized. I'm sure you've seen the home-shopping program called 'Tanaka's Amazing Commoditites'… Allow me to introduce myself…" He said as he handed the twins his business card, which said 'President and Executive Producer Tanaka'.

"Tanaka!?" The twins said as they looked up at the man with a genuine prideful smile.

"That's right! I'm Tanaka. Surely you've heard the name." He continued with a cocky smile. "I'm afraid I cannot return the 40,000 yen you gave me, but I've autographed my business card for you. Hold on to that… It'll be worth a pretty penny. Tootaloo." He said as he walked a bit away from them, his smile turned to a scowl as he sat on the bench. "Those little brats… Don't they realize they're in a presence of a star!? Should've charged them extra for a private autograph signing…"

"We can hear you, you know." Minato said dully as he and his sister heard what the man had to say, shocking him.

"Huh!? Wh-What do you want!? Quit disturbing me! Shoo, shoo!"

"Hey Sissy, do you think we should talk to Officer Kurosawa about something?"

"I don't know Brother, it seems he's doing is duty at the moment…"

"D-Did you overhear me talking to myself?"

"You were pretty loud…" Minato said as the man got up to him.

"You'll forget it ever happened if you know what's good for you. I belong to a powerful talent agency. I'm practically a celebrity. I have an image to maintain…"

"I don't know…" Minato said. "They say the media loves to do stories on celebrities doing a lot of dumb things that ruins their image anyway…"

"Don't even think about telling someone 'He took my money' or 'He called me a little brat!' Capiche!?"

"Do we look like we're five?" Minato said.

"We have every right to tell someone." Minako said.

"Very funny. You two may be a handsome duo, but you're no comedian."

"Does it look like we're looking for laughs?" Minato said, a bit pleased to see the beads of sweat on the man's forehead as the man smiled and chuckled nervously.

"Silly me! I've let you in on my secret, haven't I? Don't tell anyone, okay!?" He then looked a bit desperate. "Please! I'll lick your shoes clean if you want me to!"

The twins looked at each other, making the man sweat a bit more before they dully look at him. "Alright." Minato said.

"S-Seriously? You promise? I'll make you swallow a thousand needles if you're lying!" He said as he pointed at them. "A verbal agreement is considered a contract, and I'll sue your pants off if you breach ours!"

"I don't see how that's possible, but alright." Minato said.

"Watch it… I've got your faces etched into my memory."

They nodded, only to feel that they've made a bond with the man as he straightened himself a bit before considering them.

"But to tell you the truth, you might shine with a little polishing." He said with a thoughtful expression. "I sense that you're something more than your average Jane and Joe." He pointed to his head. "What you need in this world is brains. Without brains, you can't climb to the top."

"We were top ten in our midterms in our school." Minato said with a grin. "We're in no shortage of that."

Tanaka seemed a bit annoyed, but also a bit interested as he smiled. "I usually take my breaks here. I'd be happy to mold your young minds whenever you wish."

"Sure, we'll amuse you." Minato said. "It's not every day that we normal people hear what a celebrity has to say." Minato said as the twins said goodbye to Tanaka, who was debating whether to keep a good face in the small crowd of people at the mall, or out- right swear at the cocky young man.

"Don't you think you were a bit much?" Minako said. "He can pull off something to make us look bad."

"He wouldn't dare, despite what he holds himself up as, he's not the kind to simply do something dirty to a bunch of smart aleck punks like us."

"This better not come back to us in the future…" Minako said with a sigh. "Sometimes I wonder whatever happened to my brother who would keep to himself."

Minato grinned. "I ask myself the same thing about you. We've grown a bit in a short time."

"Yeah… So many things happened to us in barely two months." Minako said with a giggle.

"Yeah…" He said as they headed back to the dorm.


	57. Episode 56: Things in Place?

Ep. 56: Things in Place?

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Fearless / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/10-

The next morning, the twins were heading to the school gates when Mitsuru got their attention and headed up to the senior.

"Good morning, Senpai." They said in unison.

"Good morning." She said with a smile. "You might like to know that Yamagishi and Moriyama are healing up well."

"That's a relief!" Minako said with a sigh.

"That was fast." Minato said. "It took me and Sissy a week before we woke up."

"Yes, each person is different to how they awaken." She said. "We'll need to invite Yamagishi to the dorm and explain what happened. We could definitely use her help." With that the warning bell rang and they rushed to the school building to attend to their classes of the day.

xxxxx

When the classes ended, the twins made their separate ways to attend to their athletics clubs.

Minako found Rio easily as she went up to her. "Hey Rio! Ready for practice?"

"Oh. Uh… hey…" Rio said, seemed to snap back from whatever thought she was in. "Yeah… it's club time… L-Let's go."

"Everything okay?" She asked as Rio nodded.

"Yeah, just some things in my head. But let's get going." Rio said as they headed to the field, where they were practicing alone.

"Great return, Minako!" Rio said as she hit the ball back.

"I have a great teacher!" She said as she hit it back to the other, which the other couldn't make. "Alright! One point to me!" She cheered only to notice Ms. Kanou come up with the rest of the club members following behind. Rio caught on and looked uncomfortable.

"Okay, stop practicing!" Ms. Kanou said. "I heard you all got into a fight? I can't have this kind of thing going on in my club, you know?" She looked at everyone. "Who started it? Just hurry up and apologize already."

'Is she really a high school teacher?' Minako thought, remembering a kindergarten teacher doing the same thing, but it was more threatening behind it that made you reconsider saying something nice or face the consequences. She looked to Rio, who fell silent and stared at her feet. 'Oh Rio…'

"I don't think anyone in particular started it…" Said one of the members. "But I do think our attitudes did make things worse."

Rio looked up at the guilty faced members.

"I feel like I said too much to you," Said the member who blew up the last time she attended the club "after we forced you to be our club leader and all…"

"U-Um… I also…" Rio was about to say when Ms. Kanou smiled.

"Well, you guys sort this stuff out." She said as she left, leaving everyone standing around quietly, creating an awkward moment.

'She doesn't make a great advisor at all…' Minako thought as she looked to see that Rio seemed nervous and she went up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You can do it, Rio." She said, making the other look at her and nodded.

"Yeah…" Rio said as she looked at the group. "Um… I'm sorry, everyone. Things were said that shouldn't have been. But more importantly than what happened that day, I feel like I've been forcing my opinions on you all this time…" Her voice was soft, but sincere.

"Rio…" Said one of the members as Rio continued.

"We're supposed to be a team…" Rio continued. "Sorry…"

"Have you, like, changed?" Asked a short-haired member, a bit taken aback of the change in their leader.

"You think so?" Rio said as she looked at the direction that Ms. Kanou left. "I'm sorry that I said things like relationships were stupid. I didn't understand what I was talking about." She sighed. "It's tough being in love."

"Wait, WHAT!?" Said a few members, piercing Minako's eardrums.

'Ow…' Minako thought.

"You're in love!?"

"Are you serious!?"

"Is it that hard to believe?" Rio asked, a bit taken aback by the reactions of the club members.

"Wait, who's this about!? Is he at this school!?"

"Huh?"

One of the members looked at Minako, who felt the need to defend herself. "Minako, you know who it is, right? Tell us!" This caused the other members to look at her.

"I… I have no idea!" She lied.

"Minako…" Rio said as the club members practically pounced on Minako, trying to get the answer.

"You totally know, don't you!"

"I-I'll say it!" Rio said as she saw that Minako was practically getting crushed by the questions, making everyone look at her. "Um… It's… K-Kenji…" She turns bright red as she said it.

"KENJI!?" Yuko called out as she ran up to them.

"Y-Yuko!? When did you get here!?" Rio asked, a bit surprised.

"I mean, KENJI!?" Said one of the members. "Seriously, no way!"

"How in the world did you end up liking Kenji!?" Said another member as the whole field was filled with that kind of talk before another member spoke.

"Still, getting him to love you would be pretty simple."

Yuko nodded in agreement. "I bet all Rio would have to do is push him around a little."

"I-It's okay!" Rio said. "I'm not pushing anyone! Or saying anything!" She sighed. "I don't want to do anything to hurt the relationship I have with him right now! We're childhood friends… As long as we stay that way, we'll never have to break up. I don't have a chance with him anyway. I'd hate to confess it to him and have to stop being his friend…"

The girls seemed to be sympathetic to the tennis captain as Yuko spoke. "Well… If that's how you feel, then it's none of my business to say otherwise…"

Rio looked up at everyone and managed a smile. "Hey, as long as we're all here… Why don't we practice?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Minako asked.

"Yeah…" Rio said as she patted Minako's shoulder. "C'mon, let's start off with some running!" She said with a laugh as she poked the other girl's cheek. "And I expect you to help me out to get everyone back up to speed."

"Sure thing." She said as she felt her bond get stronger as she and the other members started to run.

"Let's go. Keep the two lines intact!" Rio called out and everyone practiced and had a lot of fun before they cleaned up and went their separate ways.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato, he and the rest of the team were on the practice field, giving everything they got as he was having a good time. "Hey Kaz! I'm going to get water, want some?"

"Yeah, that'll be great!" Kazushi said as he stretched out a bit as Minato walked over to the benches where they left their water bottles.

"Doesn't Kazushi seem slower lately?" Minato overheard a JV team member talking to a varsity member.

"Yeah, he's not trying as hard as he usually does."

"He thinks he'll make it to nationals like that?"

Yuko went up to them, not looking pleased with the two. "If you guys have nothing better to do, then why don't you give me a hand with the laundry?" That made the two flee , making her shake her head. "The only thing they're good at is kicking up dirt…" She then faced to where Kazushi was. "Kaz! The coach want to see you in the office!"

"Alright! I'll be right there!" Kazushi called out as he left the field, grabbing the water bottle that Minato threw to him. "Thanks man!"

Minato nodded as he took a few gulps of water as Yuko went up to him.

"Um, Minato-kun…" She said looking a bit concerned.

"What's up Yuko?"

"…Um, nevermind." She said as she left to tell off another small group of guys to stop lazing about.

'Maybe I should spend a little more time with her, maybe I can get her off Kaz's case if I do that.' He thought as practice was over and everyone started to head over to the lockers, but he noticed that he hasn't seen Kazushi anywhere.

Once he was cleaned up and dressed in his school uniform and headed to the main gate.

"Hey, Minato!" Minato turned to see Kazushi come up to him. "Wait up…" He said.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"The coach just called me to the office to tell me he's worried about me…" Kazushi started. "I'm not accusing you of telling him, but… damn! What should I do? I think he knows…" He seemed worried.

"How's your knee?"

"It's sore, but I made it through practice today." He said as he calmed down a bit as he sighed. "He said I'd have to quit the team if I'm hurt. But, I told him I'm not…" He seemed determined. "I've already missed three days! Now, I'll have to work even harder! Otherwise, I won't be able to keep my promise to my nephew!"

"I understand, but you can't win like this." Minato said, a bit worried about the other as the other laughed nervously.

"You're right… I've been losing ground by missing practice…" But he had a gloomy look on his face. "I decided that I'll take my chances for my nephew's sake… even if I permanently damage my knee." He sighed as he placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "If that happens, Minato…" He looked at him in the eye. "I want you to be the next captain."

"Huh?" Minato said surprised by this as he could sense Kazushi's trust in him as he felt his bond with his friend get a bit stronger as the other smiled wry.

"It's a depressing topic, huh…" He said as he patted the other's shoulder. "Th-That's just the worst-case scenario, though, okay!?" He smiled as he seemed to gain some of his confidence back. "I'll keep my promise and win at the regional meet as well as the nationals! Then, I'll give my knee a rest." He then slapped the other's back. "But for now, I'll do whatever it takes!"

"If you say so, Kaz, but you have to be careful too." Minato said. "I overheard some of the other team members noticing that you weren't trying as hard as you usually do."

"Really? They said that? Shit!"

"Hey, listen, if they confront you about it, you can say you just have to take it easy in case you have another asthma attack."

"Good thinking man!"

"But it won't be long until the coach will find out though. It sounds like he's starting to notice as well, and I think Yuko is also onto it as well. She tried to talk to me after you left."

"R-Really!? Oh man…" Kazushi whined. "What am I going to do?"

"As long as you keep it easy on the training, pull the 'taking it easy due to my health' card, and you should be okay."

"Yeah, it's a good enough plan as any." He said as he nodded. "Okay, we'll roll with that." He smiled at the other. "Man, I'm so glad I can confide you with this."

"Thank me after you make it through regionals." He said as they departed ways and he headed back to the dorm where he caught up with his sister.

xxxxx

"S'up, dudes?" Junpei greeted them as the twins entered the lounge.

"Hey man, what's going on?" Minato asked as he took a seat on the couch.

"Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai are at the hospital again, visiting Fuuka…" Junpei filled in. "So I guess we're not going anywhere tonight."

"Obviously." Minato said as Minako mentioned about making dinner. "Kay!"

"But man, I wonder when she'll be ready to come along…" Junpei said, looking happy at the thought of another girl joining their dorm.

"Hey, don't just assume that she'll be joining us…" Yukari said with a bit of a glare. "I hope they're not trying to push her into it…"

"I don't think they are, but it would be nice to have her around."

"Minato!"

"My man!"

"But for a different reason than what you guys are thinking." He said as he looked at them. "If you think about it, all of us here are Persona-users, and I don't think Fuuka knows anyone who has that ability outside of us. If I was her and found out about my power but don't know anyone who does, it can get lonely and scary. I'm sure she has a few good friends, but how many can understand something so complex as having a Persona? I would rather be in a place where I won't be judged and still feel normal with this power."

"That's deep man, but yeah… I can understand that."

"Of course, you said something similar when you moved in."

"Oh right! You have a good memory!"

"I guess you make a valid point." Yukari said. "But I just don't want her to think she doesn't have a choice."

"We all have choices, Yukari, I can decide to say 'Screw you all, I'm out of here', and not look back, leaving you guys doing the grunt work with Akihiko-senpai leading."

"Right…" Yukari said as Minako came out with a cutting board in one hand and a wok in the other, placing the wooden board in the center of the table and placed the wok on top of that.

"Dinner!" Minako called as Junpei was up before the other two can register.

"Thanks for the food!" Junpei said as he grabbed a bowl that Minako set out earlier and scooped his share of stir-fried noodles and vegetables.

"Not a problem, I was trying to make something quick and easy." She said as she grabbed her own bowl and get her share. "Though I think I made a bit too much."

"It's just enough, Sissy." Minato said as he got his share. "Thanks for the food."

"Thanks for the food." Yukari said as she got her share and took a bite of the food. "Oh wow! This is good!"

"Seconds!" Junpei said as he got himself another helping. "This is great, Ko-tan! Why don't you cook more often?"

"I have a thing called studying and I have places to go in the evening." Minako said. "But tonight I'm not up to doing either of those."

"Something good happened today." Minato said in a matter of face as Minako sighed.

"You know me too well."

"Oh? Do tell!" Junpei said as he finished his second and was going to reach for a third when Minako had a wooden spoon on hand and tapped his hand.

"You had enough, give everyone else another helping."

"No, one is enough for me." Yukari said. "Thank you for the food, it's really delicious."

"I'm going to help myself then." Minato said. "And it looks like there's enough for our senpais when they get in."

"Enough of what?" Akihiko said as he walked in with Mitsuru following behind.

"Perfect timing! Minako-chan made dinner!" Yukari said.

This peaked the seniors interest and looked to see the stir-fry.

"This looks good." Akihiko said as he grabbed a bowl. "Thanks for the food." He said as he got a bit of a helping and took a bite, nodding in approval. "This is great."

Minako blushed as she bowed. "Thank you. I'm glad you like it."

Mitsuru also got her share and took a bite, nodding in approval. "It has a home-style taste to it. Very unique and highly acceptable."

"You could just say it's really good, Senpai." Minato said with a grin as he finished his second helping. "Since you cooked, Sissy, I'll do the dishes.

"Okay." She said as she looked at the seniors. "How's Fuuka-chan?"

"She's a lot better." Akihiko said. "The doctor said she might be released sooner than we expected. We don't know when though."

"Well we got time." Minato said as he looked at Junpei. "Yo, you're going to help me out."

"Okay." Junpei said as he picked up the now empty wok as Minato gathered the dishes while Minako talked to the seniors.

"The tennis club finally made up, that's great." Akihiko said when Minako told him about her day, minus the love confession.

"It is, I'm so glad that's over with." Minako said.

"I think there's a fellowship for the tennis team coming up…" Mitsuru said. "If I remember from looking at the club requests from that one school in Inaba."

"Inaba?"

"Yes, it's a town out in the country. I've never been there myself."

"I guess I'll just find out." She said as she noticed how late it was getting and excused herself to bed.

The rest of the evening was uneventful as the night continued on without disruptions.


	58. Episode 57: Welcome to the Team, Fuuka!

Ep. 57: Welcome to the Team, Fuuka!

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/11-

The next day was mostly uneventful at the school when the twins received a text message from Akihiko, saying that Fuuka was being released from the hospital and that they were to meet in the command room to talk to her this evening. The twins looked at each other, doing their silent conversation as both agreed that it wasn't a rush thing and can do what they want to do after school before going back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When classes finally ended for the day, Minako said that she was going to the health committee and headed out, leaving Minato to figure out what to do when he saw Kenji, who looked troubled.

"Hey Kenji." He said as he went up to him.

"Oh… hey…" Kenji said as he looked a bit down before looking back up to Minato. "You going home or wherever?"

"No."

"Wanna hang for a bit?"

"Sure." He said as they headed out of the school and headed to Wild-Duck Burger, where they ordered and sat down.

Minato was eating his burger while looking at Kenji, who nibbled on his fry but didn't finish half of it as he sighed. "I can't eat…"

"What's wrong?"

Kenji sighed. "Dude, listen to this…" He said, looking serious. "I've got a serious problem… I saw a magazine on Emiri's coffee table. Guess what it's called…"

Minato raised a brow at this as he figured out, Ms. Kanou being young and unmarried, a thought came to mind. "Bride-To-Be Magazine." He said, as a joke.

"H-How did you guess!?" Kenji said, nearly making Minato choke. "Man, you're amazing."

"Huh?" Minato said as he recovered quickly.

"When I saw the magazine, I began to think…" Kenji said as Minato was afraid what the next words are going to be. "I made up my mind, man. As soon as I graduate, I'm gonna marry Emiri. So, whaddaya think, Minato?"

Minato was too shocked for words for a moment as he was never put in a situation like this before. "That's great. Congrats." He said.

"Th-Thanks, Minato!" Kenji said happily as he looked serious. "I'm seriously in love with Emiri, and I'm gonna marry her!" He raised his voice. "Then, Kanou Emiri will be known as Tomochika Emiri! And I'll make her the happiest wife ever!" At this point everyone was looking at him, but he didn't notice as he grabbed Minato's shoulders. "I wanted your support, dude…"

Minato knew that Kenji has opened up to him and he could feel his bond with him grow stronger. 'I'm so going to get screwed over for this…' He thought as Kenji calmed down.

"We should get going…" Kenji said as Minato grabbed the untouched burger to take with him as they left the place. "Hey, I wonder how many more times I'll be able to walk home with you like this…"

"Time will tell…" He said simply, taking note to pray at the shrine today.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako found Saori and both headed over to the nurse's office and did their duties.

"That reminds me," Saori said as they were talking about what they recently read on the headlines of some newspapers "I heard that the health committee want to put together a school newsletter."

"Really?"

"Yeah." Saori said with a smile. "It'll be about things like how to properly wash your hands and how to avoid getting sick."

"Really…?"

"At least, that's what I heard is going to go in it."

"Is Edogawa-san going to write it?"

Saori shook her head. "No, they're not going to allow Edogawa-san to write for it. Ounishi-san refused, because she said he'd write about 'Occult practices and black magic' or something."

"I'm not surprised, he mentions it a lot when he teaches." Minako said as she placed the supplies on the shelves.

"Yeah." Saori said as she looked thoughtful. "If he's not going to, I wonder who'll be writing it, then…"

"Saori, you here!?" Called out a girl's voice as she entered the room.

"Huh? Yes?" Saori said, looking at the girl. "Can I help you?"

Minako looked to see the angry expression on the girl's face and knew something bad was going to happen.

"You can help me kick your ass!" The girl said as she went up to Saori, who was frozen on the spot. "Who the hell do you think you are!? Keep your hands off my boyfriend!"

"Boyfriend?"

"Don't play dumb with me! You left school together, and even went out to karaoke! He told me all about it!"

"Karaoke? Oh, you mean Takaoka-kun?"

"You skank! You're the one who asked him out!"

"Huh?" The two girls said as Saori continued. "But he's the one—"

"Ma-kun told me all about it!" Shouted the enraged girl. "He said you seduced him!"

"Me?"

"That's not true!" Minako said.

"Stay out of this! And don't give me that shit!" The angry student then slapped Saori. "You so much as say hello to my man again…" She said with a glare "you're goin' down."

"How dare you!" Minako said as she felt the urge to fight similar to when she was in Tartarus. 'No one hurts my friends! Shadows or stupid angry girls!' But she was held back.

"N-No, it's okay!" Saori said.

"Seriously…" The angry girl said, almost sounding like she wanted to spit on the older girl. "Keep to yourself, bitch." With that, she left the room.

It was still for a moment before Minako quickly got a cloth, wet it with cold water and handed it to Saori.

"I'm sorry you had to see that…" Saori said, placing the soaked cloth to the reddened cheek.

Minako knew it was the guy's fault, but she sighed and focused her energy at helping her friend. "I don't mind…"

"Thanks." Saori said with a bit of a grateful smile. "I… did have some ulterior motive of my own, after all."

"Saori…"

"I thought it'd be nice to have a friend around my own age…"

"Did you like Takaoka-kun?"

Saori seemed a little troubled as she shook her head. "I have someone I like." She sighed sadly. "But it'll never work out, and I can't do anything about it."

"Why can't it work?" Minako asked, honestly curious, making the other girl smile and chuckle a little. 'Good, she's smiling again.'

"I've never mentioned it to anyone else before. It's so nice to be able to talk about it." She seemed sad, even with a smile on her face. "I could never tell anyone…"

Minako sensed that she has learned a bit more about the other girl as she felt her bond with her get a little stronger as Saori looked up at the clock on the wall.

"It's almost time to stop today… I doubt any more people will come." She looked back at the other girl. "Let's go home."

Minako nodded as they cleaned up the area, locked the door, and left school before parting ways as she headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

At the dorm, the twins headed up to the command room where they saw the Chairman and Fuuka sitting there along with the others, apparently they weren't waiting too long before they came in. They can even see the color returning to Fuuka's face from her ordeal.

'She's pretty cute.' Minato thought.

"You're Yamagishi Fuuka, right?" The Chairman asked.

"Y-Yes!" Fuuka said, a bit stiff from nervousness, making the man chuckle.

"Relax, there's no need to be nervous."

"Oh, thank you." Fuuka said, smiling a bit as the man looked at everyone as the twins found a place to sit.

"Everyone, you did an excellent job uncovering the truth. I also wanted to let you know the three girls have all regained consciousness."

"What a relief…" Fuuka said.

"That is a relief to hear." Minako said.

"From what I understand, they each came to school around midnight and waited for the security guard to leave. They were attacked by Shadows near the gate, as the Dark Hour began… However, the facts became twisted because of rumors concerning a ghost story."

"I knew right from the beginning that it wasn't a ghost." Yukari said.

"But you were still scared of the chance." Minato said as his sister stomped on his foot. "Ow!"

"Be nice!" Minako warned.

"Okay, okay…" He said as he moved his abused foot around. "I think you broke my toe…"

"Man up." She said, making a few guys grin out of amusement.

"It's all my fault." Fuuka said, looking a bit guilty, shocking the two junior girls.

"Are you kidding!?" Yukari said. "You were the victim!"

"But, I made so many people worry…" Fuuka said.

"Hey, don't think like that…" Yukari said.

"Yukari-chan is right. What happened wasn't your fault, and the worry thing is natural."

"And also…" Mitsuru spoke. "We could have lost that fight if you weren't there. You saved our lives. You should feel good about yourself. You have a special power that you can use to help others."

"A special power?"

"She's right." Minato said.

"We call it 'Persona'." Mitsuru said. "You could be a tremendous help to us. Will you lend us your strength?"

"Are you asking me to join you?" Fuuka asked, seeming surprised.

"That's correct."

"Mitsuru-senpai…"

"I think you'd make a good addition to the team, too." Akihiko said.

"Akihiko-senpai…"

"You know," Yukari spoke up, looking concerned "we're not trying to pressure you, so if you need some time to think about it…"

"I'll do it." Fuuka said suddenly, taking Yukari back. "I'll help you!"

"A-Are you sure!? If you join, you'll have to live here…" Yukari said, making sure the other girl understands the requirements.

"That's fine." Fuuka said. "I'd rather live here than at home anyway…"

"We really appreciate this. We'll have the school talk to your parents, to resolve any issues." Mitsuru said.

"Thank you." Fuuka said with a smile.

"Wait a minute." Yukari spoke once more. "Aren't we dragging her into this a bit fast?"

"It's not much different with me and Sissy." Minato said as a matter of fact.

"Yeah, but…"

"Um, it's okay, really…" Fuuka said. "I mean… it'll be nice to have two other girls in my grade around, too…"

Minako smiled and held out her hand. "Welcome aboard!"

"Oh, yes!" Fuuka said as she joined out her hand to clasp with the others. "I hope I can prove myself useful to you all."

"Y-Yeah, that's the spirit…" Yukari said, still sounding a bit unsure.

"Don't worry Fuuka, as the female leader of the group, it's great to have another girl team mate."

"There's two leaders?" Fuuka asked as she looked at Minato.

"Yep, we share the title." Minato said with a smile. "Welcome to the team from the male leader."

"Now, then…" The Chairman said. "Those special Shadows showed up again. We still don't know where they're coming from. But, Akihiko is right about one thing, their appearances seem to coincide with the full moon. We'll take that into consideration from now on."

"So, they're kinda like werewolves then, huh?" Junpei said, looking excited by this piece of information.

"It's a big advantage for us to know when to expect them." Akihiko said, having the same look. "Now, on the day of the fight, we'll be ready to get in the ring."

"It's definitely something of a heads up for us." Minato said. "We can actually sleep well knowing that fact." He yawned.

"Not to mention we can now schedule the days we can go to Tartarus without over harming our other responsibilities." Minako said.

"I'll leave that with you two then." Mitsuru said.

"That reminds me." Minato said. "Would you and Akihiko-senpai give us a heads up when you're not coming back to the dorm. With the Shadows getting stronger the more we move up Tartarus, we can't afford to have anyone trying to play catch up. Akihiko-senpai is very much caught up at this point, and you're going to be joining us, correct?"

"Yes, I'll be sure to not slow you down." Mitsuru said with an amused grin.

"After seeing Senpai's comeback, I don't have any worries about you having trouble catching up." Minako said with a smile. "I can't wait to see how you fight!" This made Mitsuru chuckle out of amusement.

Minato smiled, seeing his sister happy was usually a good sign of good things. But then the thought of the mysterious boy came to mind and wondered if this was what the boy kept talking about. 'We shouldn't keep our guard down…' He thought as everyone ended the meeting when Ikutsuki came up to him while his sister joined the others, talking to Fuuka, making the other girl feel welcomed before even moving in.

"We achieved new powers, and learned new information about Shadows." The man said with a smile. "Today was a great day for all of us."

"Sure is." Minato said as he saw how late it was. "Shouldn't someone walk Fuuka-chan home?"

"Oh, I asked Mitsuru and Akihiko to walk Fuuka home."

"Good idea. Is Sissy joining?"

"Oh, yes, she is, but she said she'll meet you in Paulownia mall. She seems to know you'd be going there."

"She's not wrong." Minato said with a grin. "Sometimes I think it's a curse to know one's twin sibling too well." He said as he went down to the lounge, only to run into Junpei. "Hey man, what do you think of Fuuka-chan."

"Dude, she's the exact opposite of Yuka-tan…" Junpei said. "Smart… Nice…" He then looked at him. "Hey, Minato, whaddya think of her?"

"She's not bad. Definitely nice." Minato said.

"Yeah, you got that right…" He said with a bit of a smile. "There are some things about school even I like… meaning girls!"

"Easy there…"

"I know man, I'm not hitting on your sis. Ko-tan is also really nice and smart." He had a thoughtful look on his face. "Now that I think about it, you guys totally got out of your shells since you first transferred here."

"We noticed that too." Minato said as he saw Yukari looking out at the window. "Excuse me…" He headed over to Yukari. "Still troubled?"

"Oh, Minato-kun…" Yukari said with a sigh. "It seems like Fuuka was forced to join us… Even though in the end it was her choice." She sighed. "I don't feel good about this…"

"What brought this up?" Minato asked. "When we joined, it was the same thing with us, and you were relieved to have someone in the same grade to fight along side with."

"That's different…"

"How? Because unlike me and Sissy, Fuuka actually has parents and a home to go to?" He said bitterly.

"That's not it at all!"

"Then what?" He said as he looked at her. "I don't understand you and this sudden pessimistic and suspicious attitude after when we complete a mission, or when we figured out something that can actually help us as we continue to fight. And now we have someone who has a Persona that can do a lot more than Mitsuru-senpai's and she doesn't have to fight! Help me understand what's in that head of yours!"

"Minato!" Junpei said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Chill man…"

Minato noticed that Yukari was closing in once again and sighed. "Sorry… I'm just sick and tired of hearing you question these things when you could've just confront it with Mitsuru-senpai…" He sighed. "But I noticed that you're not really comfortable with doing a simple task because it's Mitsuru…"

"Uh… Dude…?" Junpei said, not really sure what's going on and the atmosphere was really heavy. 'I should text Ko-tan about this…' He reached to his cell and was going to text when Minato placed a hand on his.

"I'm going out… I'm meeting up Sissy." He said as he looked at Yukari. "Listen… I won't ask either of our senpais about it, because I don't know what question you have and it's obviously a personal obstacle for you that only you have to overcome." With that he left the dorm.

"Damn, Yuka-tan… You always seem to bring out the worse in him."

Yukari didn't say anything as she headed up to her room.

"I let Ko-tan know about this… She might set him straight." He said as he called her and told her what he observed.

"_Okay, thanks Junpei. I'll talk to him on our way back to the dorm."_

"You do that. See ya tomorrow."

"_Night, Junpei."_ And with that the line was disconnected.

xxxxx

At the mall, sometime after Junpei's call, Minato arrived at the mall and he saw that his sister was giving him a look that lets him know that he was in trouble.

"I'm not going to say anything now, but we're going to talk on the way back." She said as she looked at Tanaka not far from where they stood, but the man was talking in his cell to notice them. "Let's hear what he has to say."

"Right…" He said as they made their way up to the man, who closed his cell and sighed and noticed them.

"Ah! You guys again…" He said.

"You look busy." Minako said.

"Yes… My schedule is so packed I don't even have time to breathe. I don't usually deal with your average Joe, you know." He said as he pointed to them. "If your dormant potential turns out to be a mistake in my judgement, it's an instant goodbye to you."

"It's rude to point." Minato said dully, making the man scoff.

"Alright, let's add a new word to our vocabulary today. Repeat after me!" He said with a look as if he's saying it to a toddler. "'Placebo'! The stress is on the middle syllable." The twins raised their brow as they repeated the word, making the man smile. "Splendid! It's so charming how you say it!"

'Creepy…' The twins thought as the man seemed pleased.

"A placebo is a 'pretend pill. Basically it's medicine to ease your mind. It's a miracle breakthrough that will make you feel fabulous! Enjoy a relaxing drive while taking in the beautiful scenery! Our incredible supplement will help you get the most out of life! These are part of our unique line of products."

'Is he serious?' The twins thought as both said in unison. "Is that legal?"

"Oh yes, of course. I'm free to sell them as I please!" He said as he seemed impressed with himself. "We may not be providing tangible benefits, but we do provide peace of mind. People will pay handsomely for that, you know. Take emergency supplies, for example… People feel safe just because they have them. But, it's merely a false sense of security." He then clapped his hands. "That's it for today's lesson. You can pay me back when you make your first million."

The twins weren't sure what to make of this questionable advice as they felt the faint bond get a little stronger as the man pointed at them.

"Have you been keeping your promise? You didn't tell anyone, did you? If you go back on your word, I'll upload your picture to an internet dating site for former prison inmates!"

This definitely made Minato worry. "Please don't… I rather not have my sister raped…"

"I don't think it's my virginity you should be worried about…" Minako said, also not liking the idea as the man seemed pleased with this and left. "Let's just go home…"

"Yeah… Damn… he put one up on us…"

"Yeah…" She said as they headed out of the mall, only to remember about what she had to talk to her brother about. "What did Yukari do to make you mad at her again?"

'Shit… she remembered…' He thought as he explained what happened and when he was done, he sighed. "I'm just tired of hearing that suspicious questioning voice of hers! I know it seems sketchy at times, but the more help the better."

"Then quit blowing up at her! Why are you like that?"

Minato was quiet as he sighed. "I don't know…" He said and said nothing more as they reached to the dorm and slept that night.


	59. Episode 58: What to Do?

Ep. 58: What to Do?

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/12-

The next morning, before heading out of the dorm, Yukari opened her door to head downstairs, only to find a small origami crane and picked it up to see that there was a note with it, and it was from Minato, saying sorry and, if she wanted to, would talk to him sometime, but not right away. Yukari sighed, hardly sleeping due to what happened last night, but she did want to make peace with the other and rushed out to see if she can catch up with the twins.

She found them heading towards the school gates and went up to them. "Mornin'."

"Oh, good morning Yukari-chan." Minako said.

"Yo." Minato said, looking a bit unsure of what he should express.

"Hey… what do you guys think about Fuuka?"

"She's helpful." Minato said without much thought.

"I think she's adorable!" Minako said happily, making her own brother smile.

"Yeah, that too." He said, slightly shocking Yukari.

"You think so?" Yukari said, feeling like she was hit in the gut. "I mean, yeah, her Persona ability is great n' all, but… Doesn't it kinda seem like she was forced into joining us?" She asked Minako mostly as Minato sighed and headed on ahead to school, not seeing the looks the girls were giving him. "I just hope she'll be okay…"

Minako placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder. "Yukari-chan… She'll be okay. She's a lot like how I first started out when I joined, remember? And with all of us there for her, she'll be more than fine." She patted the girl's back as they headed to the school. "And you shouldn't worry so much, as soon as we get rid of the Shadows, everyone won't have to worry about being dragged into this fight. But until then, let's just be glad we have great people we can call friends that is also our family."

Yukari was shocked to hear this as she seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Y-Yeah… I'll take that into consideration." She said as they reached their classroom and headed to her seat.

Minako can sense the girl was putting up a wall around her and wondered why as she headed to sit down next to Minato.

xxxxx

In classroom 2-E, the students were talking about the latest gossip of what their homeroom teacher, Mr. Ekoda, did to get him into such deep trouble when Fuuka entered the room, hushing everyone and looking at her.

"U-Um… G-Good morning…" Fuuka said, feeling a little self-concious about the stares.

"Hey, look… It's the ghost girl." Said one girl as her friend shushed her.

"Quiet, she can hear you!"

Not long after that, Natsuki came in. "Fuuka, you in here?" She called before seeing her.

"Moriyama-san?" Fuuka said, a bit surprised to see the girl.

"I heard you started living in the dorms." Natsuki said as she went up to her.

"Y-Yeah…"

Natsuki bent down to study the girl's face. "You seem so depressed…" She then smiled softly. "Let me know if you need someone to talk to." She leaned back to standing position. "You could probably use a friend, huh?"

"Moriyama-san…" Fuuka said, a bit touched by this.

"Oh, come on." She said with a wink. "Just call me Natsuki."

Fuuka smiled. "Thank you."

The day went on as normal as the twins decided to go to Student Council and spent most of their afterschool time there.

When they went up to the door along with a few others they overheard a teacher talking inside the room.

"Alright Hidetoshi, I'm counting on you… for both our sakes."

"Yes, sir." Hidetoshi said as the P.E. teacher walked out of the room, where Chihiro noticed the twins and a couple of the members.

"Hey, what did he mean by 'for both our sakes'?" Asked a member. "What's he talking about?"

"He just want to create a better school environment, so he simply asked for help from an apt student." Hidetoshi said calmly as he mentioned to the twins. "Just like how the President asked these two to join Student Council."

"What!? You can't decide something like that without the President's permission!"

"H-Hey, you shouldn't fight." Minako said as the student council member looked at her.

"Aren't you gonna say anything, Minako!?"

"Don't yell at her." Minato said as he looked at Hidetoshi. "What happened?" He asked only for Chihiro to answer.

"S-Someone found a cigarette butt in the boys' bathroom…" She said "and th-that teacher wants us to look for the one who did it…" She was a bit hushed that time.

"Well, someone broke the rules," Hidetoshi said "and we should find out who. It's our responsibility, right?"

"So you think it's right for him to start spying on the boys' bathroom, now?" Said the angered council member. "Man, everybody's on that suspect list of his! Even us!"

"Don't exaggerate…" Hidetoshi said calmly. "I'm a member of the Disciplinary Committee, not the police." He crossed his arms as he looked at everyone. "Look, you have two choices. Either help out and prove you're trustworthy, or refuse and raise suspicion." He looked at the twins. "We sure have to deal with a lot of B.S. around here, don't we?"

The twins felt a bit honored that the other seemed to count on them as they felt their bond with the other start to get slightly stronger, but still a little weak by a few threads.

"Now, if you'd excuse me." He said as he left the room.

"H-Hey! Don't ignore me! You teacher's pet!" Called out the angry council member as he followed him out of the room.

"It's not good for Student Council members to be fighting like this, right…?" Chihiro asked as she looked at the twins. "I-I better go tell the President!" She said as she rushed out of the room as well.

"Well that was productive…" Minato said as Minako seemed worried.

"I'm starting to sense a de jevu moment…" She said with a sigh.

"Come on, let's go home." He said as they headed out towards the dorm.

xxxxx

When they went into the lounge in the dorm, they were greeted by Junpei, who was sitting on the couch while Akihiko waved at them from the chair next to it.

"What's up?" Minato asked. "Did Mitsuru-senpai go off somewhere? I know she went straight back from the Student Council."

"They're getting Fuuka's room ready on the third floor." Junpei filled in as he seemed down. "But, no guys allowed…"

"Minato can go up there." Akihiko pointed out aimlessly as he worked on fixing his boxing glove.

Junpei waved it off as an over looked minor detail. "It's cool, though… I'm just glad she's coming. She'll be her tomorrow, ya know."

"That's cool. Probably just personal stuff being moved then." Minato said as he looked at Minako. "You should help them out."

"I was just thinking that." She said as she headed up the stairs.

"So what are they doing up there? I know there's no sign of Fuuka-chan's stuff lying around, and they would most likely ask us to do the heavy lifting." Minato asked.

"You know," Akihiko said "dusting and mopping… They said they'd call us if there are any cockroaches that need to be killed."

"Cockroaches…?" Minato said dully. "They can kill Shadows like crazy Amazon women, but scared school girls at the sight of a bug?"

Akihiko shrugged his shoulders. "Don't look at me, I don't understand women."

Minato shook his head. "That's the truth… There are a lot of days I can't understand Sissy even though we practically did things together." Minato said as he sat down. "Oh well, if there is Shadow sized cockroaches to be killed, Sissy can take them. Except spiders, she doesn't like those."

"Girls and bugs just don't mix. Period." Junpei said.

"Not all of them…"

"Yeah, yeah, butterflies, fireflies and all that cutesy bug things."

"Do all girls like those kinds of things?" Akihiko asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, as far as I know." Junpei said. "They see a puppy and they're all over the poor thing."

"Hey, puppies are freakin' adorable." Minato said as he pointed to Junpei.

Akihiko shook his head out of amusement. "I won't deny that. But I won't discount the older dogs."

"What kind of animal does Minako like anyway?" Junpei asked.

"Ask her yourself…" Minato said. "Or, just for the hell of it, guess."

"Is it cats?" Junpei asked.

"Nope."

"Dogs?"

"She loves them, but that's not the animal she likes."

"Well I can't think of anything else." Junpei said as he looked at Akihiko. "What do you think, Senpai?"

Akihiko blinked as he only half-heartedly listened to the two and shrugged. "Rabbits?"

"Wow, you got it on the first try." Minato said, making the other two look at him.

"He did?" "I did?" The two guys said in unison as the other nodded.

"That was kinda our nickname for her when she was little." He said with a chuckle. "Before she grew her hair too long, at one point Mom would do her hair up in these high pigtails and she looks like a little bunny. And because of that she likes rabbits because of that. But don't tell her I told you guys, she will deny it."

xxx

With Minako, she sneezed as she came up to the third floor and found the two women outside of the door where the room was going to get cleaned out. "Hey!"

"Oh, hey Minako!"

"Evening Minako-chan. How are things?"

"They're good. Need help?"

"No, we just got done with most of the dirty work." Yukari said.

"Preparing Yamagishi-san's move has taken longer than I anticipated." Mitsuru said.

"I bet, even you guys did mine and Toto-nii's room while we were at the hospital. Wasn't it that difficult?"

"Not necessarily. I had some old items that are in your room now that I don't use and both of you didn't have much to bring to begin with. It was simply a matter of arranging the room to accommodate to you two."

"Yeah, because normally when a girl moves in, there's a lot more things to be prepared for." Yukari said. "But you were pretty used to not having a lot of things, huh?"

"Yeah, I live like a guy sometimes." Minako laughed as she took a peek in the now cleaned room. "Wow… it's so big when it's empty…"

"Yeah, it was so filthy when we first started…"

"I bet." Minako said as she smiled. "Let me help with the rest, please? I hardly ever spend time with you guys."

"That's true… you spend a lot of time with the guys…" Yukari said.

"I think another set of hands will be greatly appreciated." Mitsuru said as she helped directed the rest of the room clean up before calling it a night, which the guys got the message and headed to bed.

xxxxx

The Dark Hour came again as the twins were stirred from their sleep when they sensed that familiar presence in their room and looked to see the mysterious boy.

"You've prevailed yet again." The boy said with an amused yet mysterious smile. "Do you remember what I said before? About everything coming to an end?" The twins nodded as he continued. "Well, I recalled something else…" He tilted his head with a thoughtful expression fit for a da Vinci cherub painting. "I'm fairly sure that the end is inevitable. But, it's funny… It doesn't seem so certain, considering the vast potential within you both. As a matter of fact, your power seems to have changed quite a bit." He disappeared, only to reappear on the night stand, sitting with his legs going back and forth, but not moving the night stand. "Hey, if you don't mind, can I be your friend?" He disappeared, only to reappear standing between their beds again. "I'm very curious about you two… is that okay?"

The twins looked at each other briefly before looking back at the boy.

"Sure," Minato said.

"But you have to tell us your name first." Minako said with a smile.

"Name…?" The boy said as he nodded understandingly. "Oh, I see. I need a name." He smiled. "My name is… Pharos." He nodded. "You may call me that if you wish."

"Pharos…" The twins said in unison as they felt a faint bond with the boy who looked up innocently at them.

"It's getting late, so I'll go now. I'm already looking forward to our next meeting." He waved. "Bye-bye." And with that he was gone.

The twins stared at the spot the boy stood and looked at each other before getting into their covers and slept that night.


	60. Episode 59: Returning to the Front Lines

Ep. 59: Returning to the Front Lines, Mitsuru!

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/13-

The next morning the twins were heading to the school gates when Mitsuru came up to them.

"Good morning you two." She said.

"Good morning, Senpai." The twins said as Minako seemed really happy.

"You seem really happy, Minako-chan." Mitsuru said as the girl nodded.

"Because Fuuka's coming to the dorm today!" Minako said happily.

"She's been excited about that since she woke up." Minato explained as he looked at the senior girl. "With Fuuka taking the support role, you're going to join us, right?"

"That's correct. From now I can rejoin all of you on the front line."

"That's great. You're really reliable." He said as Minako nodded. "Sissy needs a strong female role model."

"Toto-nii!" Said sister cried out as Minato ran off. "Get back here!" She called out as she quickly apologized to Mitsuru before running after her brother, missing the amused look on the senior's face.

"Yes, you can depend on me." She said to no one in particular, but she was set in a good mood as she walked up to the school. "Even though I'm a bit out of practice, I will soon return to my prior form." She seemed determined as she entered the school, which seemed to show to the rest of the student body around her.

"Wow… Mitsuru-senpai is so cool…" Said one of the guys as she walked passed them.

xxxxx

The rest of the school day went by without much incident when classes finally ended.

"Well, it's Saturday…" Minato said. "What should we do?"

"Maiko should be at the shrine today. I wonder how it's going with her and her parents." Minako said, concerned over the girl's well being.

"Okay, we'll check up on her." Minato said. "I'm in a playful mood too." He got up as they headed over to the shrine where they saw Maiko on the slide, only to see them and ran up to them.

"Hi Minako! Hi Minato!"

"Hey Maiko-chan!" The twins said, happy to see her. "Miss us?"

"Yeah!" Maiko said as she seemed curious. "Do you think Striped Shirt is okay?" This caused the twins to tilt their heads to the side.

"Why do you ask that?" Minato asked.

"Well… He said he can only come on Sundays, but I can't come that day." She pouted. "I want to play with him, too…" She smiled as she grabbed Minako's hand. "But, today I'll play with you!" With that the three played for a good two hours before they sat down on the bench.

"You guys are brutal…" Minato said.

"I'm more flexible than you, Toto-nii, and Maiko is small enough to maneuver through the jungle gym."

"Still not fair…" He said, making the girls giggle.

"Oh!" Maiko said. "Did you know it was my birthday the other day?"

"Really? Well happy birthday." Minako said.

"Thanks." She said as she looked up at the sky. "At least Mom and Dad didn't forget about my birthday this year… They remembered!" She giggled happily.

"Of course, they love you!"

"Yeah, nobody could forget you." Minato said as he patted her head, earning a giggle

"Of course!" She said happily. "We haven't really eaten together as a family for a while. We used to eat dinner together every night…" She sighed. "How come Mom and Dad don't get along anymore?" She seemed deep in thought before nodding with a determined look in her eyes. "I know! I'll just ask them why they want a divorce." She looked at the twins. "If I can get rid of the reason, everything'll be fine, right?" She nodded, not seeing the concerned looks the twins gave her. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to get my parents back together!" She then looked at them. "You'll do what you can to help, right?"

The twins could feel the bond getting stronger and could only nod to the girl.

"Yeah, we'll help in anyway." Minato said as Minako agreed along with him.

"All right…" Maiko said as she brought her tiny fists up to her eye level and looked determined. "I'm gonna ask them." She then put her hands behind her back and giggled. "So, maybe we can play again some other time."

"We'll be up for it." They said as they said good bye to her and headed back to the dorm, where they got a call from the Velvet Room siblings, telling them that the path that was blocked to them has now been lifted and to wish them well before entering the dorm.

xxxxx

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka asked, looking up from her laptop on the couch with Mitsuru next to her reading the paper, but also looking up to see them while Junpei and Yukari stopped whatever they were discussing and Akihiko looked up from his book.

"Hey!" Minako said as she hugged Fuuka. "Doing great!"

"See, I told you she would be happy to see her." Junpei said with a grin.

"I'm glad to hear, Minako-chan." Fuuka said, giggling at the girl's excitement. "Um, since I'll be substituting for Mitsuru-senpai from now on, just tell me if you want to go to Tartarus."

"Will do." Minato said as he stretched. "We'll be counting on you."

"I'll do my best." She said.

"After what you been through, you just proved to be a strong person." Minato said, not noticing the dusty pink on the new girl's face.

"Oh, Mitsuru-senpai, what happened to Ekoda-san?" Minako asked.

"More importantly, what was his punishment?" Minato asked.

"Oh, Ekoda-san's punishment?" Mitsuru said as she continued reading the paper. "Well, there are some things in life you don't want to know about…" She turned the page in the paper. "This is one of them."

Minato whistled. "Must be very serious." He said as he took the remaining chair to sit. "So, Fuuka-chan, this might be a bit early to ask, but how are you settling so far?"

"Oh, I'm settling just fine."

"She wasn't supposed to come here until Sunday afternoon," Akihiko cut in, without looking up from his book "but she really wanted to join us."

"Family issues?" Minako asked.

"Something like that…"

"I won't ask then." She smiled.

"Sissy was very excited to hear that you're coming." Minato said. "Glad to have you."

"Thank you." Fuuka said as Minako went over to sit on the arm of the chair that her brother was using.

"Anything else new going on?" She asked.

"Nope, just another normal day." Junpei said.

"Not necessarily a bad thing." Minato said.

"Yeah, and I would like to go to Tartarus, but I don't want to do that just when Fuuka-chan just moved in."

"We can go if you want." Fuuka said. "I'm kinda eager to help out as much as I can."

"We'll tomorrow is Sunday…" Minato said as he looked at Minako, which they did their thing before both smiling. "Who's up for Tartarus tonight besides Junpei and Senpai."

"You already knew the answer, huh?" Akihiko said with a grin, looking up from his book.

"I wouldn't mind getting back in step with everyone." Mitsuru said as she closed the paper and fold it in half.

"You guys can't be serious…" Yukari said as she sighed as she looked over at the twins. "Let me guess, you guys want to go?"

"Yep! I have too much energy!" Minako said.

"And this is without the help of coffee." Minato said. "And the best part is, we can separate into teams to cover more ground."

"That's right!" Junpei said with a smile. "We now have three guys and three girls, so we can have a girls versus guys thing going on with Fuuka-chan to make sure we don't over do it."

"A girls versus boys thing, huh?" Yukari said with a shake of her head. "You do realize this isn't a game."

"I know that!"

"Still, it would be interesting which team can defeat the most Shadows." Minato said. "It will also be a huge test to our leadership by doing the separate team thing."

"I think it's worth a try." Minako said as she got off the arm of the chair. "Well! It looks like it's decided! I'm going to go to the pharmacy to get some stuff."

"Hey! I'm coming too!" Minato called out. "It's dangerous for you to be alone at a certain hour!" And with that the twins left the dorm.

"What just happened?" Yukari asked as Junpei chuckled.

"We're going to see whose better at defeating Shadows!" He laughed. "I can already see us winning!"

"As if! Minako can easily defeat more Shadows than you!"

"Alone maybe, but I'll be with Minato and Senpai. And us badasses will do the job no problem."

"Oh is that so?" Yukari said as there was a competitiveness in her eyes. "We'll just see about that!"

"This has become concerning…" Mitsuru said as she and Akihiko watched on.

"It's a good thing both leaders are pretty good when to call it quits." He said. "I'm kinda excited to know who would get the most defeated Shadows."

"You're just as bad as Iori…"

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the twins went into the mall and were spotted by Tanaka.

"Hello you two, I have a funny story to tell you."

"Okay." The twins said as they listened to him.

"You know, these days, even a first grader knows how to buy stocks online." He said as he looked at the two. "How about you two? Are you interested in stock trading?"

The twins looked at each other before looking back at him. "We kinda thought about it when we had our economics class." Minato said.

"That's the spirit!" Tanaka said with a smile. "If you put all your money in the bank, your modest gains will be offset by outrageous fees! Don't let the fear of bankruptcy dissuade you! You have to be aggressive in the management of your assets!" He said excitedly.

"Weren't you telling us a funny story?" Minako asked.

"I'm getting there…" He said as he smiled. "My company just went public. Since our sales have been skyrocketing, we decided to sell shares. And guess what…?" He smiled a bit more. "The number of shareholders skyrocketed too." He started to chuckle. "Listen, this is the funny part… The majority of our shareholders are also our customers!" He laughed. "They keep buying more of our products, so of course the stock will rise!" He calmed down when he saw the two weren't laughing. "Isn't that hysterical? You should learn to appreciate the irony." He crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm thinking of offering you two a job, so you should come up with some stories of your own." He then pointed at them. "Have you two been keeping your promise? You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"No sir." They said.

"Good, 'cause if you go back on your word, I'll find where you live and ring the doorbell every night at midnight!"

"If that happens, we'll know it's you." Minato said dully.

"You may be a handsome looker, kid! But that smart mouth of yours will get you into trouble."

"I'm just stating the obvious."

Tanaka mumbled something as he left the twins be.

"You like giving him a hard time, don't you?" Minako asked.

"He brought it on himself." Minato said as they went to the pharmacy, purchased what they might need for tonight and headed back to the dorm to wait for the time to go to Tartarus.


	61. Episode60:Tartarus's Battle of the Sexes

Ep. 60: Tartarus's Battle of the Sexes

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/13-

When the Dark Hour triggered and Tartarus appeared, the group entered the entrance.

"Okay, we're in agreement to how we should go about this?" Minato asked as he has Junpei and Akihiko on his team.

"Let's do this! I'm not going to lose to the girls!" Junpei said excitedly.

"I like to see how it turns out." Akihiko said, but the excitement in his eyes were not hard to miss.

"Looks like we're good to go for this one." Minako said.

"Would you grow up, Stupei!" Yukari called out. "We're the ones that are going to floor you guys!"

"Who needs to grow up?" Minato said as Minako nervously chuckled.

"Alright, all of you." Mitsuru started to say as she looked at Minako. "Let us begin, I like to see how I match up after such a delay."

"Okay!" Minako said as they went up to the transport device to go to the level they were on before and the two teams went their separate ways to defeat Shadows while Fuuka gave them a heads up on what the floors have to offer.

On the forty-first floor, the guys were facing two new Shadows called the Lustful Snake, while the girls had three of the cross and balancing scale Shadows.

"I got this, if you allow me to go first." Mitsuru said as Minako gave her permission as she summoned Penthesilea and used Mabufu which took down all three of the Shadows, allowing them to all-out attack them and the Shadows were gone.

"Damn… Mitsuru-senpai is strong…" Junpei said as Minato called out to Junpei to pay attention, barely dodging an attack. "Gah!"

"We'll be right ahead!" Yukari sang as she and the rest of the girls moved on.

"Okay! One is frozen!" Minato called out after his Frost Jack used Bufu on one of the Shadows, which was its weakness according to Fuuka. "Junpei! Attack it with a physical attack!"

"Got it!" He said as Minato used Bufu again on the second one, which resulted in Akihiko taking care of that one while Junpei got rid of the second.

"Looks like the girls went on ahead." Akihiko said, soundly slightly disappointed. "Looks like Mitsuru hasn't lost her touch in battle after all."

"Well… I bet Sissy and Yukari are happy about that." Minato said as he seemed to do a mental math in his head. "So far we've defeated at least twenty Shadows. That's not bad for being here for at least fifteen minutes. Considering we've started from floor thirty-seven."

"We better keep moving then, the girls might've gotten more while we're still standing around!" Junpei said as they started moving.

Meanwhile, with the girls, they defeated another small group of Shadows.

"Alright! That makes it twenty-five for us!" Yukari said excitedly.

"You did great, Mitusu-senpai!" Minako said. "I think you did better than Senpai when he joined up."

"I'm flattered." Mitsuru said with a smile. "It's good to be able to fight again." She said.

The girls were on the forty-fourth floor when the guys finally caught up with them.

"Man, you guys are already done?" Junpei said. "There was like nothing for us in the last level!"

"Sorry, but we are trying to see who gets the most Shadows defeated." Yukari said.

"You didn't even want to do this!" Junpei said.

"Yeah, but now I see how much fun it is!"

"Okay! Okay!" Minako called out. "Let's not start some childish argument now!"

"Sissy's right, we don't want to end up fighting against each other." Minato said as he looked at his sister. "How about you gals have a five minute break while we try to catch up with you."

"Only if my team feels like they need a break, right?" She looked at the girls, who didn't look an inch tired. "And it looks like we're just going to have to continue on together and split when we see a large group of Shadows."

"Sounds good to me." He said. "Not to mention that there's a possible guardian on the fiftieth floor."

"Yeah, I think all of us can take it down if we're not worn out by that point."

"I know we're not, and you guys aren't doing too bad." With that they continued to go up and split to defeat the Shadows until they reached to the next floor, in which Fuuka announced that the strong Shadow moved from the fiftieth floor to the forty-seventh floor.

They met up on the now empty of Shadows in the forty-sixth floor to take a break.

"How is everyone doing now?" Minato asked as everyone says that they're doing okay. "We have a good fifteen minutes left before the Dark Hour ends."

"Man… doing ten floors in less than an hour is crazy…" Junpei said. "I can't even imagine walking ten flights of stairs in a normal building."

"That's because we mostly cleared the way for you guys when we went ahead." Yukari said. "How much did we get, anyway?"

"I don't know…" Minako said. "I lost count after thirty." She giggled. "Does it really matter now?"

"It was pointless to begin with." Minato said.

"How come?" Junpei said.

"Because." He simply said as this didn't seem to sit well with Junpei and Yukari.

"I wanna know if we creamed the girls or not!"

"Oh we so floored you guys!" Yukari said as they glared at each other.

"I think we should call it a night…" Minako said with a sigh. "Hearing you two argue is giving me a headache…"

"I agree…" Mitsuru said. "It seems fatigue has also started to catch up with me."

"Well, I won't argue with either of you if you feel that way." Akihiko said. "Who knows what kind of Shadow we'll be facing in the next floor, and honestly, I don't think the time we have will be enough."

"I guess you're right…" Junpei and Yukari said in unison as they headed to the teleport device and met up with Fuuka and they went back to the dorm.


	62. Episode 61: Another Day and Gold Beetles

Ep. 61: Another Day and Gold Beetles

Minato: Above Average, Smooth, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/14-

The next morning, Minako's cell was buzzing, making her pick it up when she was just waking up. "Moshi, moshi…"

"_Hello, this is Saori. I'm not bothering you, am I?"_

"Nope, just getting up. It's okay."

"_I see. If you're free, do you want to go somewhere?"_

"Sure, I'd like to go."

"_Oh, that makes my day. I'll see you later, then. I'll be at the mall."_

"I'll see you there." She said as she hung up, which at that point her brother's cell went off and he picked it up to answer.

"Yo, you reached Minato's voice mail. Please leave a message after the groan."

"_Dude! I know that's not your answering machine!"_ Kenji said with a laugh. _"Hey, do you have time to talk, dude?"_

"Sure, I need to be productive today." He said, missing the amused shake of his sister's head as she brushed her hair.

"_Sweet! Wanna get together?"_

"Sure. Where?"

"_At the BookOn in the strip mall."_

"I know it. See ya in a bit."

"_Back at cha!"_ And with that the line was disconnected.

"Going out?" Minako asked as she started to pull her hair up and grab her hairband.

"Yeah, you?"

"The sa-" She started to say when a snapping sound was heard and the broken hairband fell to the floor. "Shoot…"

"It was its time to snap."

"Don't be funny with me." She said as she looked around to find another hair band somewhere, only to realize that there's not one in sight. "It's a good thing I'm going to the mall today. I can stop by the pharmacy and get some new hair bands."

"Okay, you do that." He said as she stood up, dressed and ready to head out. "You have a good time."

"Thanks, you as well." She said as she exited the room and headed down stairs where she saw Akihiko and Junpei talking about something when they looked up to see her. "Morning guys." She said, only to notice that they were staring. "What's up?"

"Your hair's down." Junpei pointed out.

"Yeah, my hair band broke so I'm going out to get some new ones."

"Man, you're really cute with your hair down though! Why keep it up in a sporty pony tail? Not that isn't also cute too!"

"Cut it out, Junpei! You sound like a creep!" Yukari said as she went down and looked at Minako, only to look surprised as well. "Oh my gosh! You're so adorable with your hair down like that!"

"What's going on?" Fuuka asked as she and Mitsuru came down, only to notice the difference. "Oh my, I don't think I've ever seen you with your hair down before."

"This is first time seeing you like this." Mitsuru said as she smiled. "It's quite fitting on a calm day like today."

"It's definitely different than what we normally see you." Akihiko said with a smile.

"Guys…" Minako said as she blushed. "Thanks… Uh… I have to meet up with a friend, so I'll be back later!" And with that she made her speedy get away, missing the chance for Minato coming down, looking to see everyone gathered in the lounge.

"Did I miss something?"

"Only to see how much cuter your sis is with her hair down." Junpei said as he received a dull glare from the other. "I'm not saying I'm hitting on her! I'm just saying that's she's really cute."

"Now that's making me worry…" Minato said with a sigh. "Well, I'm heading out. See you guys later." He said as he left the dorm.

"We should head out as well." Yukari said as she grabbed Fuuka's hand. "Come on! We have some shopping to do!"

"Huh!? Wait! Yukari-chan!" Fuuka said as both girls headed out of the dorm.

"I have some things to go over for Student Council." Mitsuru said as she gathered some things from the front desk. "I'll be in my room if anyone wants to find me." And with that she left back up the stairs.

"Well! I don't know about you, Senpai, but I'm gonna head out as well."

"Okay, don't get to any trouble." Akihiko said as Junpei left the dorm before he got up as well, grabbed his jacket, and headed out of the dorm.

xxxxx

With Minako, she met up with Saori in the mall and they spent a couple of hours in the arcade as they came out, laughing.

"That was so much fun!" Saori said. "I didn't know that arcades could be this great. I've never seen games that use your entire body."

"Yeah, it's quite a work out when you try to keep up." Minako said.

"Say, did you see the fortune-telling machine? Where you enter your data and the data of the person you like, and it tells you if you two are a good match or not." She giggled. "I was just thinking, 'How could a machine know how things will work out between two people without knowing them in person?' And it seems you can input two girls on that machine too, and it'll show their level of friendship."

"It sounds interesting if it didn't sound too good to be true."

Saori chuckled. "I'm sure it is. Fortune-telling itself is just a scam to begin with." She then sighed. "I admit, I was really into fortune-telling once. I was a time when I had nothing else to rely on. But in the end, it did nothing for me. No help or fortune came to me. It's just a hoax."

"Saori…" She said as the other was smiling sadly.

"Hey, let's get something to eat. I'm getting hungry."

"Yeah, me too!" She said with a smile to make the other smile a little more cheerfully as they continued their day hanging out together.

xxx

With Minato, he went over to Book On and found Kenji reading a manga of something that looks like a romance manga that's mostly for the female audience. 'Why is he reading something like that?' He thought as he mentioned to the other he was here and grabbed a manga to read before both were getting pretty hungry and headed out to go to the ramen shop.

"Dude, I just got the greatest plan from that manga I was reading!" He said as he explained his 'next stage' plan on proposing to Ms. Kanou. "Well, whadday think? Isn't that a great plan!?"

"Sounds good, but it sounds like something a kid would think up."

"Really!?" He said as he thought it over and nodded. "You're right… I have to be serious about it…"

"It'll come to you." He said as he saw how serious he was with this. 'Maybe they are getting along, but why does she already have a bride-to-be stuff if they just started going out?' In some part in his mind he knew the answer, but he didn't want to acknowledge it at that moment as Kenji patted his back.

"Thanks man, I'm glad I can trust you with this, you always seem to help me out."

"Anytime." He said as they got something to eat before parting ways to head back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minako, she just parted ways with Saori when she saw Junpei being questioned by Officer Kurosawa, and it didn't look good. She went over as Kurosawa told Junpei to sit down on the bench by the water fountain as he went over to the café. "Junpei?"

"Oh! Ko-tan!" Junpei said as he seemed relieved to see her. "How's it goin'? You got your hair up again."

"Yeah, and I was going to ask you the same thing." She asked as she looked at the café. "What did Officer Kurosawa talk to you about?"

"I don't know… I just walked in there to get a coffee when this asshole was giving the waitress a hard time. So I stepped in and this guy was the manager and got all crazy on me, saying that I look like the guy that stole something out of the cafe." He said as he sighed. "Next thing I knew, Officer Kurosawa came in, brought me out here, told him what I know and told me to wait out here. Shit I hope I'm not in trouble…"

"I'm sure it was a case of mistaken identity." She said as she sat down next to him. "Mind if I wait with you?"

"That would be great right now." He said as Officer Kurosawa exited the cafe along with the guy in the café uniform with a name tag with 'Manager' on it.

"Does he look like the guy you claim stole a packet of coffee?" Officer Kurosawa said as he mentioned Junpei to stand up. "Take your hat off son."

"No, no, leave it on, the guy that stole it was wearing a hat." The man said as he studied Junpei for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope, this isn't the guy. His skin tone was slightly darker than his."

"Okay." Officer Kurosawa said as he mentioned to Junpei that he was free to go. "Second time today, son…"

"Yeah, I know…" Junpei said with a sigh.

"Sorry for blowing up on you like that, I'll give you a free cup as a way to make up for my actions." The manager said to Junpei.

"Nah, it's cool. I didn't know you're the manager either. I thought you were some guy that was giving a working girl a hard time."

"I suppose we're both in the wrong. Well, I hope you have a good day." He said as he noticed her. "Your boyfriend it quite lucky, miss."

"She's not my girlfriend!" "He's not my boyfriend!" Both juniors said at the same time.

"Oh, my apologies, you two seem like a couple."

"Yeah, we're a couple of best buds." He said with a smile as she giggled.

"You two have a good day now, and stay out of trouble." Officer Kurosawa said as he headed back to the police station.

"C'mon, let's get back to the dorm." Minako said as Junpei nodded.

"Yeah, I was going to head there after the café anyway." He said as they made it to the dorm

"Junpei, what did Officer Kurosawa mean this is the 'second time'?"

"Oh that? Well… Let's just say the first one was just a misunderstanding regarding how I keep my room."

"Huh?"

"I rather not talk about it…"

"Okay…" She said as they headed towards the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived there, they were greeted by Fuuka, who was talking to the Chairman and the seniors looked up to see them.

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka asked.

"It was good, though I was nearly in trouble with the police today."

"Trouble?" The Chairman asked, this getting attention to everyone else in the dorm.

"But it's a false alarm! Ko-tan is my witness to that!"

"It's true." Minako said as she explained what happened, earning a few nods of understanding from everyone.

"It's a good thing the manager has a good memory of the small details such as skin color, otherwise it would've been an issue." Mitsuru said.

"Yeah, no kidding." Junpei said as he headed over to the kitchen.

"How was your day, Minako-chan?" Fuuka asked.

"It was good. I got to hang out with Saori for a good chuck of time and you know the rest." She said as Minato came in. "Welcome back, Brother."

"Hey." Minato said as he stretched. "Anyone up for Tartarus?"

"I am!" Junpei said, practically bursting out from the kitchen.

"I'm up for it." Akihiko said.

"It would be good to get rid of the guardian now and not have to worry about it later on." Mitsuru said. "I will be able to go if everyone else feels the same."

"So far we have three plus myself that want to go." Minato said as he looked at his sister. "Sissy?"

"I'm for it." She said as Yukari came down.

"What's going on?"

"We're going to Tartarus tonight." Fuuka announced.

"Oh, okay." She said as she stretched. "Well, I'm good to go."

"Good, cause I have a feeling that it's going to be a real tough one." Minato said as everyone waited for the Dark Hour.

xxxxx

When Dark Hour came and Tartarus appeared, the group entered the tower, and Fuuka went ahead to sense the energy up on the forty-seventh floor. "There's three of them up there."

"Three large Shadows." Minato said as he sighed. "Well, let's get this done then." He said as they went to the teleport device and used the stairs on the forty-sixth floor to reach the next.

Everyone carefully walked around when Minako stopped, her head turned to where she thought she heard something.

"Sissy?" Minato whispered when he heard it as well. "Move!" He called out as everyone moved, only to turn to see three large, golden beetle Shadows with crowns on them.

One of the Shadow beetles turned quickly and attacked Akihiko, knocking him back, but he recovered quickly.

"That was a cheap shot!" He said as he put the Envoker to his head and summoned Polyduces and used Zio on the Shadow, knocking it to its back.

"Do that two more times!" Minako called out as Akihiko used that attack two more times on the other Shadows, all three of them on their backs. "All out!" With that everyone took on the knocked down giant beetles before having to fall back when the beetles got themselves up.

"Odin! Mazio!" Minato called out as his summoned Persona, a fairy prince looking creature, let out a strong lightening attack on the three bettles, one managed to avoid it.

"Mazio!" Minako called out as she summoned her Odin, a female version of it as it got the two knocked down one and the one that thought got away with it. "All out!" She called out as they all got in before they spread out once more.

"Mitsuru! Watch out!" Akihiko called out as a beetle caught up with the senior girl and attacked her, knocking her to the side.

"Senpai!" Minato called out as he was attacked as well by another beetle, knocked off to the side.

"Brother!" Minako called out as she saw the third beetle try to attack Mitsuru. "Senpai!" She ran to protect Mitsuru. "Mazio!" She called out as the attacked hit, knocking to its back.

"Zio!" Akihiko called out as his Persona knocked over the other two. "Are you alright!?"

"I'm fine!" Minako said as she helped Mitsuru up as Mitsuru held the Envoker to her head.

"Dia!" She called out as her Persona aimed a small ball of light towards Minato, who was having a hard time standing, suddenly looking better.

"Dia!" Yukari called as she also did the same thing, making Minato look like he was when the fight started.

"Brother! Move!" Minako called out as a beetle tried to get him, but he moved quickly, only for another to try to get him, only for Junpei to attack it, veering it off course to attack him.

"Thanks!"

"No problem man!" Junpei said. "Too bad Hermes doesn't know lightening attacks."

"You can still burn the damn things!" Akihiko called out as he moved to avoid being attacked. "But lightening is definitely having a huge effect!"

"Mitsuru-senpai, here." Minako said. "I got this at the antique shop…" She handed Mitsuru what looked like a glass ball with static inside it. "Throw it when they start to attack you."

"Thank you." Mitsuru said as she got up as Minato and Akihiko took care of the three beetles, knocking them on their backs again, then going in for an all out attack.

"Man these things don't know when to quit!" Junpei said as he tried to do another physical attack on them only to see that their shells were just too tough for his weapons. "Hermes! Agi!" He called while putting the Envoker to his head, which summoned his Persona as it used fire, but it hardly did anything. "This sucks…"

"Stand back!" Mitsuru called out as she threw the glass ball, which the twins knew what it was as Minato grabbed the back of Junpei's jacket and pulled him back while Minako stood in front of Yukari as the glass made contact with the ground in the center where the Shadows were and a strong lightening attack came down, knocking all the Shadows on their backs.

"All out! This should do it!" Minato called out as they all went in as the Shadows disappeared.

"Alright!" Minako cheered. "No more creepy gold bugs!" she said as she sighed. "But wow, I'm tired…"

"I'm not surprised, you, Minato, and Akihiko did most of the attacking." Mitsuru said. "The rest of us don't have the ability to do lightening attacks."

"I'm just glad we rested when we did." Akihiko said. "We would've been goners if we hadn't."

"Can't blame you there." Junpei said. "But man, I wasn't able to do anything to help!"

"What are you talking about? You saved Toto-nii when he was about to get attacked." Minako said. "He would've been a goner if you didn't attack."

"She's right. Thanks for saving my life man." He said as Junpei grinned as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Well, we are a team and have to cover each other's backs, right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's just call this a night." Minako said. "We'll have plenty more chances to fight here."

"You heard Miss Leader." Akihiko teased. "Let's head back."

And with that they headed out of Tartarus and went back to their dorm to rest up.


	63. Episode 62: Beef Bowls and Grudges

Ep. 62: Beef Bowls and Grudges

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/15-

The next morning, the twins headed to the school when Yukari caught up with them.

"Mornin'!" She said.

"Morning, Yukari-chan, what's up?" Minako asked while her brother was acting like a zombie.

"So, I guess it's true that fewer cases of Apathy Syndrome occur after each of our missions." Yukari said as Minako nodded. "But then, that changes again as we get closer to the next full moon."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about that." Minako said. "It just shows that the Shadows are on the rise. Even Senpai said that the phases of the moon changes the Shadow's behavior."

"Yeah…" Yukari said as she still seem troubled. "By the way, what do you think of Mitsuru-senpai?"

"Huh?" Minato asked as Minako responded what she meant by that.

"Yikes, that's not what I meant."

"What did I miss?" Minato asked, a bit more awake.

"You go on ahead, this is girl talk."

"Going!" He said as he rushed to the building.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well… as I was saying… Don't you think she sort of pushed Fuuka into joining? I know it's nice to have her around, especially in battle, but…" She sighed. "It just feels wrong…"

Minako looked at the girl and sighed. "I'm glad I told Brother to go ahead." She said. "And about your question, I would just ask her yourself. Both Mitsuru and Fuuka on what they feel about this. Remember what Fuuka said? That she rather be at the dorm than at home, that speaks a lot, don't you think?"

"Yeah… But still…" Yukari said as she felt the other pat her shoulder.

"Instead of thinking it over in your head, just go up and talk to them. The least they could do is get mad at you, right?"

"You're right…" She said as they made their way to the class.

xxxxx

Then classes finally ended, the twins were gathering their stuff when Minato said he was going to hang out with Yuko and left with a simple parting of 'later', leaving Minako to go to the lab hallway to find Akihiko.

"Senpai!" She called out, not seeing the group of stalking fangirls glaring at her.

"Hey, Minako-chan, nothing special going on?" He asked.

"Not really, are you busy with something?"

"Oh, no, I was making sure some of the members know what to expect for tomorrow's meet." He said. "Want to head somewhere before we head to the dorm?"

"Sounds good to me." She said as they left the school, unaware of the atmosphere of spite aimed at her from the fangirls.

xxxxx

Soon they were at the Iwatodai strip mall, in front of the beef bowl shop.

"A beef bowl shop?" She questioned.

"What's with that face?" Akihiko asked. "Honestly, the beef bowl is really great here."

"Oh, I know that! Junpei brought me here a couple times."

"Oh, really? Then you know how big the servings are and the sauce they use on the meat is just-"

"Akihiko-senpai! Eeeee!" Shrilled a girl's voice as two girls went up to the two, but mostly crowding the senior boy's space.

'Those are the girls in my class…' Minako thought recognizing them without their uniforms.

"Akihiko-senpai, what're you doing here?" Asked a girl in buns.

"Oh, I know! You're here for the beef bowls, right?" Said a heavily made-up girl. "It's, like, so funny that you're always eating here!"

This confused the senior boy. "What's funny about that?"

"It means that you're totally cool!" Said the second girl.

This didn't seem to compute with the senior as he sighed. "Look, can you get out of the way, please?" He pointed to the door behind the two girls. "We can't get in."

"Hey, hey, you don't have a girlfriend, right?" Asked the first girl.

He raised a brow to this. "A girlfriend?"

"We're, like, totally looking for guys to be with right now." The first girl hinted as she and her friend sneak glances at Minako, who just stood there, patiently waiting.

'If he chooses even one of them that's it for their friendship. I don't understand why they would go after the same guy, even though they know only one can be the girlfriend.' Minako thought, not seeing the logic of the girls' vague and possibly disastrous efforts, but the hostility towards her was not unnoticed by her.

"Just let us through, please." Akihiko said politely, seeming a bit worn out from the girls' persistence of getting his attention. "If you want to talk with me, let's find some other time to do it." He reasoned as he looked at the junior girl "Let's go, Minako."

The combined glares the girls aimed at her made her feel like she was having her skin burned off, but she smiled politely and nodded. "Let's go, Senpai!"

"Yeah, I'm starving." He said as they made their way past the two girls feeling relief that he got away while she felt the level of hatred intensify.

'At least they won't make him feel uncomfortable anymore.' She thought as they sat down to enjoy their meal.

When they were done, the two girls were gone and Minako was relieved for that.

"See? Wasn't that delicious?" He asked as he saw the relief look on her face. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, yeah, it was great!" She said smiling as she did enjoy the beef bowl.

"I know, right?" He said smiling as he realized that the girls were gone. "Oh… I get it. Do you think those girls wanted to have Beef Bowls, too?"

"Not in the way you think." She said as she saw that he looked confused.

"Huh? I wonder what they wanted…" He said a bit embarrassed.

This surprised her as she felt slightly bad for the girls, but at the same time find this slightly adorable by how dense he was to female emotions. "So, what's your type?" She asked, a bit curious of what kind of girl he finds attractive.

He looked at her, a bit lost. "You mean my favorite type of beef bowl? Hmmmm…." He said as he was deep in thought, but Minako couldn't help but giggle. "What?"

"That's not what I meant." She said as she got her giggles under control.

"Oh, you're talking about girls." He said. "What type of girls do I like…?"

"Yeah, sorry for the odd question."

"Not at all. I hear it all the time with the club members." He said as he gave a wry smile. "But… I don't want to deal with this kind of thing." He scratched his head as he slightly faced away. "I'm not strong enough to carry this entire burden…" He muttered.

She could feel her bond with him get a little stronger as she felt she learned something new about the other. 'So he's not really looking for a girlfriend at the moment. Well, you can't really rush in these kinds of things so it's not a bad thing.' She thought.

"Oh, yeah." He said, bringing her back to the present situation. "The type I like is…" He started to say as he paused, as if hesitating to say something as he blushed. "N-Never mind."

"Senpai?"

"I-I'd been told that whenever a girl asks that, the right answer is always 'Girls like you'…" He admitted as his blush seemed to darken a bit out of embarrassment. "But I can't bring myself to say it! Argh! Damn that Junpei…"

'Junpei is really serious about being the cupid…' Minako thought as she patted his shoulder. "Well, it's not entirely wrong." She said as he looked at her. "Any girl will be glad to hear that, but at the same time the guy would have to mean it, otherwise it's just empty words sprinkled with sweet nothings."

"That makes sense." He said. "It would be pointless to say it if you're not absolutely sure." He nodded. "Thanks, Minako-chan."

"Not a problem!" She said, feeling glad that she helped out somewhat. "We better head back to the dorm before Toto-nii suspects you in kidnapping me." This successfully made the other laugh.

"I'm not surprised if he thought that." He said as his shoulder was tapped.

"You're it!" She said as she started to run ahead of him.

"Hey! Hold up!" He said, but he was playing along as they ran to the dorm.

xxx

Meanwhile with Minato, after he left his sister, he found Yuko and asked if she wanted to hang out and she agreed as they reached to the main lobby.

"And then he threw a left hook right at his face, but he dodged it, and…" She looked to see that they were already at the shoe lockers. "Can you hang on a sec? I'll finish the story after I put my shoes on." She headed to her locker and opened it, only to sigh. "Again…? How childish…"

"What's wrong?" Minato asked as he got his shoes out.

"Oh, it's nothing, really…" She said, but it was clear something was bothering her. "It's the same stupid prank again…"

Minato looked to see that there was a piece of gum on her shelf as Yuko took out her shoes, sighing in relief.

"They're safe. I wouldn't be funny if I had gum all over my shoes."

"Does this happen often?" He asked, a bit surprised that Yuko would be bullied.

"Well, after the first few times, I stopped counting." She said as she put on her shoes, looking disgusted. "I was pissed off at first, but then I just got used to it…" She sighed. "I'm tired of being angry, and I'm just too lazy to do anything about it. But if I catch her in the act, I'll grab her and slap her."

"Wouldn't you get in trouble for that though?"

"Hey! That was a joke, okay? Don't take it so seriously." She said with a bit of a pout. "I'm not like that at all! Alright?"

"I believe you." He said as they left the school and headed to the mall.

xxxxx

"He went for his arm…" Yuko continued with the story she as she slightly acted it out "but then he put him into a choke hold! Isn't that crazy!? I love it!"

"That's pretty awesome." He said, a bit impressed of the story she told him of some match she saw somewhere.

"I know! Like I thought, brains are just as important as brawn…" She said with a smile.

"Yuko-san!" Both turned to look to see a girl with white socks and there was another girl with black socks, who had a look that was a mix of cruel pleasure and disgust.

"Is that your new boyfriend?"

"No, we're not dating. He's just a friend from the team."

"You don't have to hide it." Said the girl with the black socks. "I'm surprised you can get such a handsome guy. Maybe I should become a team manager too."

"You've got the story all wrong, like usual." Yuko said, as if she's done this before.

"Maybe you should quit." Said the girl with white socks. "You have to do so much running, after all. It's not very attractive for a girl to be too muscular, right?"

"Oh, stop. Her boyfriend might hear you."

Yuko sighed. "If you wanna give it a try, I won't stop you. But I wouldn't bother if you're just looking for a boyfriend…" She said as she looked serious. "Because being a team manager isn't easy. You won't have time to be sticking gum on the shoe rack."

This seemed to get both the girls' attention as the girl with the white socks spoke. "Wh-What on earth are you talking about? I-I haven't got a clue."

"Of course not. It was just an example." Yuko said, keeping her voice even and calm. "What's wrong? Did I say something to offend you?" She asked the girl with the black socks.

"N-No." She said as her friend spoke.

"H-Hey… We should get going now…" And with that the girls left them be and were gone among the crowd.

Minato felt bad that he didn't speak up, but he figured he'd do more damage if he did as he looked at Yuko, who looked worn out. "Yuko?"

"Let's go sit down." She said as they found a bench to sit down and sighed. "I'm sorry, Minato-kun… I didn't mean to get you involved."

"No worries." He said as Yuko managed to smile a little.

"Thanks." She said as she seemed happy before sighing. "Maybe I should tell you the whole story…" She took another deep breath and began. "The girl with the black socks… She went to the same middle school as me. Back then, there was this boy on the basketball team who asked me out, and we started dating." She glared at the floor. "But, he was seeing her at the same time!"

"What a dirtbag." He said as she sighed.

"Even though I was a victim too, when she found out, she accused me of being a thief. She blamed me because I was the manager of the basketball team. Does that make sense at all?"

"I guess it depends on the view of the person." He said. "I wouldn't know what to tell ya because I'm not a girl." This earned a bit of a giggle as she continued.

"That gum on my shelf… It was probably her. She still holds a grudge." She sighed. "Girls can be so unforgiving sometimes…"

"Don't I know it. I have a sister you know, and I rather not get her mad. Trust me."

She giggled. "Is she really that scary when she's mad?"

"You haven't seen it." Minato said with a straight face as he shivered. "Just thinking about it makes me feel a sense of doom in the air."

"Wow… she seems not the type to be that scary." Yuko said, a bit surprised to hear this.

"It takes a lot." He said.

"Oh… by the way, I'm sorry they called you my boyfriend…" She said. "Are you mad?"

"I'm honored." He said bluntly with hardly any change of emotion, making her blush.

"Um… How can you say that with a straight face? And how many other girls have you used that line on?" She said as she seemed embarrassed. "When it comes to a relationships, you should never play with a woman's emotions. Trust me, I've been there before."

"I know that. And I never had a girlfriend so I wouldn't know what to do." He said with a shrug. "But you're a great gal, Yuko."

Yuko blushed as she looked around the mall that wasn't on him. "You know, if people see us sitting together like this, they may think we really ARE dating…" She said as she seemed embarrassed.

He felt his bond with her getting stronger as she got up and faced him.

"Please don't tell Kaz or anyone else that story." She said. "You're the only one who knows, Minato-kun!"

"Hai!" He said as he saluted her, making her giggle.

"You're a funny one, aren't you?"

"When the moment calls."

She smiled as she nodded. "By the way… That guy I was going out with… I broke up with him a long time ago!" She giggled. "You probably figured that out already, huh?"

"I would have to drag you to therapy if you were still together with that guy." He said with a smile.

"S-See ya later." She said as she ran away.

Minato got up and made his way to the dorm. 'Yuko is definitely a strong girl, that's for sure.' He thought proudly as he exited the mall.

xxxxx

When he got into the dorm, he was greeted by Akihiko.

"Where've you been?"

"Hanging out with Yuko. You?"

"I hung out with Minako-chan at the beef bowl shop."

"Oh, cool." He said as he looked around to see her.

"If you're looking for her, she went up to study."

"Oh, thanks. Well, night." He said as he went up the stairs to find his sister, at the desk to work out some problems for their homework.

"Hey Toto-nii, how did things go with you and Yuko today?"

"It went okay. What about you and Senpai?"

"We had a good time." She said with a smile. "I'm still pretty full from the beef."

Minato smiled as he patted her head. "Well I'm gonna turn in. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

"I know." She said as he changed for bed and she continued to study a bit longer before she was done for the night, changed, and fell asleep.


	64. Episode63:Events andMinato's Second Date

Ep. 63: Events and Minato's Second Date

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/16-

The next morning the twins headed to the school when Mitsuru caught up to them.

"Oh, good, I've managed to catch up to you two."

"What's up, Senpai?" Minato said, taking his headphones off to give her his attention while his sister did the same.

"I have something to tell the both of you."

"Okay, shoot." Minako said.

"You both know very well that Yamagishi will take over my position, but if neither Akihiko nor myself is present, I told her specific instructions to not let you go. I'm worried something may happen. So, please keep that in mind."

"Understood." The twins said in unison as they went into the school where the day went on as normal until the lunch rolled up.

xxxxx

Minato was going to get himself something to eat at the student store when his name was called and turned to see Fuuka. "Hey Fuuka-chan, how are you?"

"Oh, I'm doing well." She said as she seems hesitant to ask. "Um…"

"What's wrong?" He asked as he saw that she was holding a lunchbox.

"Um… are you hungry by any chance?"

"I was going to get something at the student store."

"Um… In that case, would you do me a favor?" She held up the lunch box. "I want you to taste the lunch I packed." She looked down at it. "To be honest, I don't have very much confidence in my cooking… But, today, I think it turned out okay… So… Will you taste it?"

Minato had a bad feeling about this, but he did want to help her out and agreed to try the lunch. "Sure."

"Oh, thank you!" She said happily as she mentioned him to follow. "Please come with me." She then led them to the rooftop where they sat down on one of the stone benches and she handed him the lunch box.

He smelled something foul, but blamed it on baked bird droppings, until he opened the lunch box and his stomach seemed to lurch at the unappetizing sight.

"Now, I want your honest opinion…" She said. "H-How is it?"

He picked up the chopsticks and picked up a slimy looking green mass and put it in his mouth, only to come to find he couldn't go any further than that, but he managed to swallow it. He looked at her and saw how anxious she was for his answer. "It tastes horrible." He said, knowing she wants honesty.

"Oh… That's what I thought…" Fuuka said sadly but managed to smile. "Th-Thank you for your honesty…" She said with a sigh. "I'm sorry I made you taste test my cooking… But, I know that you'll always be honest with me. I depend on you…"

He felt touched by this as he felt that he made a new bond with her. "You're welcome…" He said as she got up.

"Classes will resume pretty soon." She said as she took the lunch box away. "Well, I'll see you back at the dorm." She said as they went their separate ways to their classrooms, where it seemed to drag on until the day's lessons ended and the twins went their separate ways to their after school activities.

xxxxx

Minako headed to the nurse's office, where she and Saori did their job as health committee members, only there weren't a lot of students coming in, which caused the older of the two to sigh.

"Hardly anyone's stopped by." Saori said. "It's been like this since this morning."

"Since this morning?" Minako questioned.

"Huh? Oh, um…" Saori said as a female student came in, only to quickly turn around and leave. "She left…"

"That was strange…" Minako said.

"I wonder… Is it my fault that nobody's come in today?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Um… I think I stand out a little…" She smiled sadly. "Then again, that's an understatement. No one talks to me, no one responds when I say hello… They're not actually doing anything to me, so it's not like being bullied… It's just… everyone's being really distant to me." She then realized something and looked at Minako. "Oh, if they see you with me, they might start new rumors…" She looked concerned as Minako smiled.

"Then let them talk."

"Minako-chan…" She said as she seemed happy to hear that. "Yeah… Thanks."

At that moment the door opened again, this time the science teacher, Ms. Ounishi, came in. "Are you two with the health committee?"

"Yes, Sensei." Minako said politely.

"There's some extra space left in the newsletter I was talking about." She said as she held up a stack of papers as she placed them down on the small desk in the room. "Could you write up something really quickly?"

"Oh, yes." Saori said as she took the piece of paper. "But… What should we write about?"

"Is there anything you want to write about in particular?"

"Not really."

"Oh, really?" Ms. Ounishi had a thoughtful look on her face. "What were those kids saying?"

"What kids?" Saori asked.

"I did some research into articles that I thought students would like to read about. Apparently, love advice columns are very popular. Whip up some fake letters and answer the questions."

"Love advice?" Saori didn't seem too sure of that as the teacher shrugged.

"I know it's the lowest common denominator, but it's what people want, so what the hey. Make sure to fill the entire space. And don't let Edogawa put anything weird in it. I'm counting on you two."

"Yes Sensei." Minako said with a nod.

"Oh, yes…" Saori said with a calm smile as the teacher left. "Umm, the manuscript… Ah, this must be it." She said as she pulled out a sheet of paper that looked like a newsletter manuscript. "There's a lot of space left. Can we write that much?" She looked at Minako .

"We'll just have to try our best." She said.

"Yeah, your right." She said as she found something to write with and placed the paper down. "Then let's get to it…" She looked at the blank page. "Umm… Love advice…" She looked at the other girl. "What sounds like a realistic problem someone would have?"

"The 'I can't get a boyfriend' question is popped up the most." She said, seeing a bit of discomfort in Saori's expression.

"I-I see… So it's stuff like that."

"I wish I made that up."

"No, it's quite alright." She said as she had her pen pose, ready to write, only to hold it in mid-air for a good minute. "It's no use. I can't think of anything to write." She then had an idea. "Okay, I'll write the title and work on the layout. Can you write the article, Minako-chan?"

"Okay." She said as the other seemed to feel relief.

"Thank goodness… I don't know anything about that sort of thing after all." She giggled. "My personal experiences aren't worth shit here."

Minako's eyes went wide. "Whoa, Saori…" She said as the other laughed.

"Sorry, I just wanted to try cursing for once." She calmed down and looked at her. "How did I do? Did I say that right?"

Minako giggled. "It was great!" This made the other girl laugh as well.

"Hoo, that was fun." She said, seeming to enjoy herself. "It's so wonderful to be able to say what I want." She smiled more. "Speaking your thoughts out loud… It's a wonderful feeling. That's what I thought when I was watching you."

"Huh? Really?"

Saori nodded. "I must've been envious of you…" She looked at the girl. "Thanks."

Minako blushed out of embarrassment. "You're welcome. And I think I told you that you can come talk to me."

"I know, but I like talking to you like this."

"Yeah, me too! She said as she felt her bond getting stronger with the other.

"Let's get to work on that article." Saori said as she felt determined to do it. "What should the next letter be about?" She then added. "How about 'I'm in a long-distance relationship, and I miss my boyfriend soooo much!' Does that sound believable?"

"Definitely!" She said as they worked on the article until they completed it and closed the nurse's office, handed their manuscript to the teacher, walked out of the school before parting ways to head home.

xxx

With Minato, he went to the mall and to the Velvet Room, where he mentioned to Elizabeth that he was going to show her around the Iwatodai station, fulfilling a request, and they made their way out and headed to the station.

When they got there, Minato took the stairs only to notice that Elizabeth wasn't next to him and looked to see that she was running down the up escalator, making people watch but he went to the bottom step and waited for her to come down, which she seemed to enjoy as she looked as if she accomplished something.

"You okay?" He asked as she took a breather.

"Flowing stairs that must be mastered by those who would try to pass…" She said as she looked at the moving stairs. "So this is an 'escalator'… It looks simple, but one false step, and challengers will be mired in an exhausting ordeal…"

"Warning:" called out the announcement "Please refrain from going up the down escalator, and vice versa. Thank you."

"And…"

"Elizabeth…" Minato was about to tell her the proper way of using the escalator when he saw her move.

"What's this!?"

'Oh boy…' He thought as he followed her.

"Please watch your step! There's a pitfall just ahead." She said, pointing to the guard posts that surrounded the man hole.

"Where is it?" He asked as she pointed once more.

"It's over here." She said as she went up to it a little closer. "It's in the center of this fenced-off area. It's marked with eye-catching signs, which state in bold print: 'Do Not Enter'!" She smiled amusingly. "Humans frequently crave that which is forbidden to them…"

"Can't argue with that." He said.

"This is a crafty snare, that goes against the common notion that pitfalls must be hidden." She said as she seems thoughtful. "A stairway that tests one's wits, and a pitfall that tests one's inner strength… Human authorities have a great deal to contend with in their quest to defend the town's law and order… I'm very moved by their plight."

'I would correct her, but why ruin it?' He thought as he saw how happy she looked.

"Let's continue forth, our thoughts dedicated to the unsung heroes who love this town so very much." With that they crossed the street to the strip mall. "This…" She said suddenly as she sniffed the air. "This fragrant aroma—it can't be!" And she took off running.

"E-Elizabeth!" Minato called as he went after her until he saw her in front of the takoyaki stand.

"Whoa, you can figure out our secret ingredient just by its smell?" Said the cook, sounding very impressed. "Oh, I guess you don't wear those funky clothes for nothing, lady. Well, there ain't a law against takoyaki shops cooking stuff besides octopus." The cook said with a laugh. "How 'bout it? Wanna buy one? It'll make you smile so wide, your cheeks will fall off!"

"Cuisine so luscious that one's cheeks fall off!" Elizabeth said, sounding shocked. "Such a result would cause havoc in reality, but I'd definitely like to experience this." She then produced the bulging wallet and Minato knew what would happen if he didn't say anything now. "Are you going to buy that many?"

"I have never seen a person who has actually lost his or her cheeks. This must mean that the ordinary citizen cannot easily buy these –" She then took a closer look at the price of the takoyaki. "Oh, I see. Upon closer inspection, one package is only 400 yen… W-Well, then. Two packages, please."

"Thanks! Here you go, and come again!" Said the cook as she handed the other two packages of the takoyaki.

With that the two sat down and started eating the fried dough balls.

"This distinct texture…" Elizabeth started "the firm, chewy outer skin…" She nodded. "There's no doubt about it. I must say, I'm surprised to come across this used as an ingredient in food."

"Are your cheeks okay?" He asked, couldn't help the opportunity to tease her a little as she felt her cheeks.

"They seem to still be in place." She said, confirming that her cheeks were still attached to her face. "An in any event, there are many other delicacies I feel I must try. I must take care not to lose my cheeks before sampling each and everyone one of them." She said with an amused but mysterious, if not a bit childish smile. "There appear to be several dining establishments around…" She pointed out as she was done with her takoyaki. "I wish to try all of them. My first priority is to visit something called a 'manga café' and obtain the foodstuff known as a 'smoothie bar'."

"'Smoothie bar'?"

"Yes, this 'smoothie bar' allows for an infinite combination of flavors by mixing various ingredients…" She seemed excited at the thought. "Just thinking about it gives me a sort of electric tingle across my tongue."

"Well, I'm still hungry." He said as he got up, throwing away the empty package. "I'll show you around the other eateries if you're still hungry."

"Yes, I am not satisfied until I taste what each place has to offer." She said, not seeing the look of uncertainty across the young man's face as they headed to each and every food shop in the strip mall.

xxxxx

"We appear to have exhausted the culinary possibilities in this area." She said, after they walked out of the Wild-Duck Burger as she looked to him. "Oh my… Are you feeling well?" She asked as she saw how sickly he looked. "Now that I think about it, you haven't eaten much since our seventh meal…"

'Is her stomach a black hole?' He thought, fighting the urge to get sick.

"In any event, I have to thank you for the tasty experience." She said, looking grateful. "If you don't mind, I'd very much enjoy accompanying you again."

"Sure thing." He said as they headed back to the mall and to the Velvet room, which he started to feel better after the walk giving his stomach time to settle seven plus meals in his system.

"Thank you for showing me around Iwatodai Station." She said. "The fascinating rides, the dangerous traps… and of course, the cornucopia of curious cuisine."

"Not a problem." He said.

"The people's lives there were quite different from those at Paulowina Mall the other day. So that I might not forget what we saw, I'd like to recreate some of the dishes we tasted." This of course made Theodore flinch when she announced that. "First, I must hunt for ingredients…" She laughed. "This will be so much fun!"

"I wish you the best of luck then." He said as he looked over the requests list and took them up as he headed back to the school to get the human mannequin, in which he caught up with his sister and both headed back to the dorm.

"Where have you been?" Akihiko asked as they entered the lounge, raising a brow at the human anatomy mannequin. "What the hell?"

"They were going to trash it." Minato said. "And I thought it could be helpful for science." He headed up the stairs. "Oh, do you have any protein?"

Akihiko blinked as he nodded. "Yeah, starting on bodybuilding, eh?"

"Yeah, I heard it kinda helps for track athletes." He lied.

"Well, I have some left over stuff for beginners, from back in the day." He said as he got up. "Hold on."

"I'll be back down." Minato said as he quickly went up the stairs to put away the human dummy and back down where the senior held out a container of powder.

"Here you go." He said as the other took the container.

"Thank you, Senpai."

"It's the 'Ama-Pro' brand." Akihiko informed. "It's specially formulated for guys who are just starting out."

"Thanks a lot." He said as he looked at his sister. "Hey, Sissy, maybe you should also try some, since tennis is also pretty tough on your body, right?"

"Only when we're doing laps as a warm up." Minako said.

"Still, we should pick up something for you." Minato said as Akihiko studied her.

"He's onto something here." Akihiko said as the twins looked at him. "I know for sure that there will come a point where a woman's body will deprive her bones of calcium. If I were you, you should definitely pick up some calcium supplements so that you won't get that problem later on. But you should ask a doctor first to find out what kind to take."

Minako blushed. "I suppose…" She said as she got up. "Might as well go to the pharmacy then, we're running low on aloe cream."

"I'll go with you." Minato said. "I have to pick up something anyway." And with that the twins left the dorm.

"Did you really have to do that?" Minako asked as her brother shrugged.

"It just seemed like the perfect opportunity." He said as they headed to the mall.

xxxxx

When they got there, Tanaka spotted them and mentioned them over.

"What lesson are you going to tell us today?" Minako asked politely.

"Glad you asked that." Tanaka said with a smile. "Today's lesson is called 'The smaller the dog, the louder its bark!'" He straightened himself, as if talking to members of the board. "Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to see through people's bathing suits at the beach?"

"I would hope not!" Minako said, sounding insulted.

"Why, is it possible?"

"Toto-nii!"

"I'm asking so I can punch the guy's eyes out."

"Oop… I forgot you two are underage." Tanaka said, clearing his throat. "Anyway… Our company has introduced a special filter for digital cameras. Simply attach it to your camera and voila! Start peeping!"

"Why are you telling us this?" Minato asked.

"We've been advertising it in adult magazines, so don't worry. Our ad slogan is 'Undress them with your camera eye'." He chuckled. "It's been selling like hotcakes! In fact, it our number one seller!"

The twins weren't sure this was a good thing to know about.

"Unfortunately, customers have been complaining that it doesn't work." He said as he waved his hand in the air, as if shooing a fly. "I told my employees to just ignore them. Nowhere does it guarantee that you'll be able to see anything. And it's not like anyone would actually admit they bought one."

'So it's basically a lie.' The twins thought as the man gave them a critical look.

"By the way, try to cut back on the donuts and cupcakes. I have an idea for an ad campaign. Oh, and keep playing around at night to a minimum. The innocent look may be old, but being viewed as a promiscuous is still a minus for your image." He said as he pointed to Minako. "You 'act' in front of a man you want, right? You need to do the same for the customers in front of the TV." He then pointed to Minato before he could say anything. "And women would go crazy over a handsome young man in his briefs! I think you'd be perfect for the job!"

The twins felt that the man's idea was a bad one as they felt the bond with the man get a bit stronger, but they felt horrid at the thought of it.

"Have you been keeping your promise?" Tanaka asked. "You didn't tell anyone, did you? If you go back on your word…" He paused as he tried to think of something. "It won't be my fault if you get a lot of pizzas delievered to you." And with that, he left.

"That… was the weirdest conversation with him by far…" Minako said. "I feel like I need to take a shower."

"You and me both…" He said as he shivered at the idea of parading to a bunch of middle-aged women in his briefs. "Come on, let's get to the Velvet Room to turn these things in and get some kind of calcium thing for you so it looks like we did come here to do something."

"Y-Yeah…" She said as they headed into the room.

xxxxx

"This must be the brand of protein specially designed for amateur athletes…" Theodore said as he looked at the container holding said item.

"So this type of protein does exist…? Then the name 'protein doesn't have anything to do with 'professionals'… I see." Elizabeth said with a child-like smile on her face. "Thank you very much. I am sure this is valuable, so please take it back with you.".

"As a result of this request," Theodore said "our master has ordered us to drink an entire bottle of protein in one go."

"Well, what's done is done… And this way, I might be able to go professional someday." Elizabeth said with a confident smile.

"And please do not be surprised if my muscles have doubled in size the next time you visit the Velvet Room."

The twins weren't sure about those things, but why should they say anything to them when they seem happy, and they'll learn the hard way like everyone else.

"And it looks like you also completed another request." Elizabeth mentioned as Minato handed her the anatomical model. "Oh, my… You actually brought it. Is that what everyone is so afraid of?"

"An Antomical Model is merely a replica of the human body." Theodore said as he studied it while poking around the plastic replicas of the human intestines. "I don't understand what people find so repulsive about it…"

"I agree! If you ask me, it's rather charming." Elizabeth said as she touched the model's face, only for it to come off. "Oops… The face came apart… Anyway, you have my gratitude. I'll take good care of it." She happily held onto it as if it were a doll.

"Please do." Minato said, a bit creeped out that Elizabeth would want an anatomical model to keep, but he wasn't going to question it. 'At least I don't have to have it staring at me while I sleep.'

They were handed their rewards and they headed back to the dorm to rest up for the next day.


	65. Episode 64: Minato's Culture Club and

Ep. 64: Minato's Culture Club and Trouble in Student Council

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/17-

The next morning, Minako was already at the school when Minato was rushing to catch up when he overheard that there were some openings for the culture clubs and thought about maybe joining one after school. When he entered the room, he rushed to his desk next to his sister, who gave him a pointed look.

"I know, I know…" He said as Mr. Edogawa came in and decided to just sleep this one out and leaving his sister to answer the question and the day went on by steadily until classes ended.

"Huh? You're going to join a culture club?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, I just don't know which one." Minato said.

"Well, could you do that after Student Council?"

"Sure, I got to do most of the work last time, so it's only fair you do the grunt work this time while I check out the culture clubs."

"Sounds fair." She said as they gathered their stuff and headed to the Student Council room, where they worked on a few tasks, which Minato said his farewells and headed out, leaving her to do most of the work, which she had fun doing. She noticed, however, that Hidetoshi wasn't in today, and she wasn't the only one as Mitsuru asked where he was.

"Um… no…" Chihiro said. "I think he's busy…"

"Busy doing what?" Mitsuru asked.

"Busy playing Private DICK." Said the angered council member.

"Oh… You mean what Fushimi was telling me about earlier…" Mitsuru said as she seemed a bit concerned. "I see. Well, his intentions are good, so you can't really blame him. But, I understand how you feel." She looked at Minako. "You can go if you'd like. I don't mind. Sorry for all the drama."

"It's okay, Senpai. I'm going to see if I can find Brother and join a culture club as well."

"That sounds like a good idea. I wish you the best."

"Thank you, Senpai." She said as she left the room to look for her brother.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato he looked in the arts department rooms and found that there were three clubs he could join when he thought he heard Fuuka's voice coming from the science room. He entered to see her talking to a guy there and entered the room, which looked like something from a dark room as the lab sinks were now being used to hold solution for the photographs, pictures clipped onto the string that went from one side of the room to the next, when she noticed him come in, making the other look to see him as well.

"Um… You're not a member of this club, are you?" Asked the male student with glasses as he looked at Fuuka. "Do you know him, Fuuka-san?"

"Yeah, this is the guy I was just telling you about…"

"Oh, so this is him, huh?" He said as he looked at Minato. "You must be Minato-kun. I've heard a lot about you from Fuuka-san!"

"We're looking for new members to join our club, so I mentioned your name." Fuuka explained. "I'm really happy you decided to stop by…"

"No problem." He said as the other smiled.

"Um, I'm Hiraga Keisuke. P-Pleased to meet you." He said.

"He's supposed to be pleased to meet YOU, Keisuke-senpai." Said a male club member. "You're the club leader, after all."

'He's a senior? He looks to be about my age though…' Minato thought as he brushed it off.

"O-Oh, that's right." Keisuke said, chuckling nervously as Fuuka chuckled.

"He's always acts like this." She explained to Minato as he nodded in confirmation as Keisuke smiled.

"Things are going well… Fuuka-san decided to return to the club, and now we're getting a new member." Keisuke said with a happy smile on his face. "Maybe I should stay club leader for a little longer…"

Fuuka then looked concerned. "Hey, Keisuke-senpai, you're a senior, right? You must have finals coming up soon, huh?"

"No, I… uh…" Keisuke said as he looked at Minato. "H-Hey, Minato-kun, are you at taking photographs?"

"No, not really." Minato admitted.

"Well, don't worry. You don't' have to be a professional photographers to join this club. I mean, I'm a novice, and I'm the club leader!" He said with a bit of a laugh. "Meeting you like this can't be just a coincidence; it must be fate…" He looked up at Minato as he pointed to a sign-up sheet. "So, if you're interested in joining the Photography Club, just write your name on the sign-up sheet."

Minato nodded as he felt a stir in his chest, signaling that he had made a new bond with Keisuke.

"Just so you know," Keisuke continued "only club members are allowed to enter this room. So be sure to sign your name on the sign-up sheet." He notified as he told the other when they meet and left to help a member.

"I'm really surprised we're in the same club." Fuuka said.

"It'll be fun." Minato said as he simply observed for the time being before he had to go and see if he could find his sister.

xxxxx

The twin siblings met up on the first floor hallway where they heard yelling.

"What on earth?" Minato said as Minako walked to where the shouting was coming from. "S-Sissy!" He followed her and they heard the source of the yelling.

"So where's your EVIDENCE, smart guy!?" Said a punkish looking young man.

"There's no need for evidence. I know all about you." Hidetoshi said. "You were arrested for beating up a guy in the park who snitched on your, right?"

"Whoa! He's at it AGAIN!" Said one student. "That's the third person today he's accused…"

'Third?' The twins thought as they looked on.

"My boyfriend said he was accused too. He was so pissed off." Said another student as she shook her head. "That guy's gonna get himself punched in the face one of these days…" And at that moment, the punk looked as though he was ready to punch Hidetoshi.

"Hidetoshi!" Both twins called out as that seemed to delay the punk from hitting him.

"If it's not you," Hidetoshi continued "then give me some names. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. You have my word as a member of the Disciplinary Committee."

The punk glared at him. "You think you're so smart, don't ya! What a loser…" And with that the punk walked away as the twins went up to Hidetoshi.

"Don't think you're off the hook just yet." He said as he glared and looked at the twins. "Minato-kun, Minako-chan… Do you have something to say?"

"Good work." Minato said, making Hidetoshi smile.

"Thank you."

"But maybe you should take it easy." Minako said. "If it wasn't for us, he would've punched you."

"Thank you for your concern, but some people will like and backstab another without hesitation if it's to their advantage. And people like that are a menace to society. We shouldn't tolerate that kind of behavior; we should do something about it."

"What if you get hurt while doing so?" Minako asked concerningly.

"I understand what you mean, but if we let people get away with breaking the rules, things will only get worse. One day, it'll spiral out of control, and there will be nothing we can do. So, we should deal with the problem now, while we still can."

"In a way, Sissy's right, you should tone down a bit. I mean, we overheard that this is the third time you've accused someone without evidence. And that's pretty damn risky." Minato said.

Hidetoshi nodded. "Yes… I know what people think of me." He sighed. "But, if you try to justify your actions, people will hate you even more. History has proven that."

"Can't argue with that." Minato said as Minako nodded in agreement.

"So, let this serve as a warning to other offenders." Hidetoshi said as he looked at the twins. "Minato-kun, Minako-chan, you're both sensible people… you understand, right?"

Both nodded as they felt that the other was beginning to trust them as they felt that their bond with him gotten a little stronger.

"Thank you." He said with a look of determination. "I'm gonna get back to business. You two should go home before it gets dark."

"You as well." Minako said as they parted ways as she and her brother headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they got there, the seniors were relaxing in the lounge as per usual while Yukari and Junpei were in the dining table area, one doing homework the other just staring at a piece of paper. Minako went up to Junpei and immediately pointed out the wrong solution to a problem and stayed to help him. This made Minato sit next to Yukari and took out his books and papers to start on his homework before they all headed up to their respectful rooms to sleep.


	66. Episode65: CookingClub and Getting Along

Ep. 65: Cooking Club and Getting Along

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Above Average, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/18-

The next morning, before they left their room, the twins' cell phones were going off and they heard from the Velvet Room siblings about that they have an important matter to discuss with them at their earliest convenience. The twins wondered what this could be as they hurried out of the room and headed to the station to get to school.

xxxxx

When they walked towards the school gates, they overheard a conversation of the school's top gossipers about the Kirijo Company being on the news before they rushed to get to their classes, which seemed to drag on until the bell rang for it being the end of the day as they rushed out of the room, the school, and headed to the mall to get to the Velvet Room, where the siblings were waiting for them.

"Sorry to call for you." Elizabeth said.

"But there's something we must being to your attention." Theodore said. "There seems to be someone inside Tartarus, between floors 44 and 47."

This surprised the twins as Elizabeth continued.

"It seems to be someone without the potential, who heard the voices of the Shadows. If left alone, they will become Lost in your world,"

"And may die…" Theodore ended. "Please find them and return them."

"Right." The twins said as they now have another reason to get to Tartarus.

xxxxx

With that thought in mind they headed back to the school.

"Are you going to meet someone?" Minako asked as he nodded.

"Yeah, see ya later." He said as he parted away.

Minako entered back to the school, only to come to find out that she didn't really have anything to do when she saw Fuuka posting something up on the home economics room. "Hey Fuuka-chan, how are things?"

"Oh, Minako-chan…" Fuuka said as she smiled a little. "Are you busy?"

"Nope I'm free." She said.

"Would you happen to be a bit hungry?"

"Yeah, I am."

"In that case, would you do be a favor?"

"Sure. What's the favor?"

"I want you to taste the lunch I packed." She said as she seemed unsure. "To be honest I'm not really good at cooking, but I think today went well." She looked up at the other. "Would you taste it?"

"Sure." She said, not having a good feeling about it as Fuuka seemed happy and led them inside the home economics room.

"Um, I want you to try this for me." She said as she handed the box lunch to her.

Minako took the box from the girl, only to smell an unsavory odor coming off of it, but she opened it, only to see that everything in it looked very unappetizing. But she looked to see the other girl looked at her expectantly as she mustered her courage and grabbed the chopsticks to pick up something that looked like a deformed, green shrimp with something that looked like roots surrounding it that had a lot of burn marks on them. She placed it in her mouth and took the first bite, only she couldn't chew it anymore. 'I think I'm going to be sick…' She thought.

"H-How is it?" Fuuka asked as she watched with anticipation.

Minako liked the other junior girl, but she had to be honest as she shook her head, managing to swallow the mystery food. "It's not quite right…" She managed to say with a horrid aftertaste in her mouth.

Fuuka sighed sadly. "I thought so… Sorry that I asked you to try this…" She said as she took the lunch box away from Minako and set it off to the side. "To tell the truth…" She started to say as she pointed to the blackboard. "Um, did you notice? Look at the blackboard."

Minako looked up to see Cooking Club writing up on there, which made Fuuka giggle.

"I've decided to start a 'Cooking Club'!" She said happily. "Then again, I'm the only member so far…" She looked at the other girl. "I'm going to keep trying my best, so would you mind stopping by and trying my new creations sometime?"

Minako tilted her head to the side.

"Actually, to be honest… I want you to join, too. Cookbooks don't make much sense to me…" Fuuka admitted. "And instead of just cooking and eating everything by myself, cooking for you and Minato would inspire me to try harder."

"Toto-nii?"

"Oh, yes, he's the reason I started this club. You see, yesterday I had him try my other lunchbox, but he had the same reaction you did, and I decided that I should try to get better and I decided a club would help a lot." She sighed. "But it's a lot harder for me to understand than I realize." She looked at the other. "So, h-how about it? Would it be too much trouble?"

Minako smiled and nodded. "Sure, I'll join!"

"Really!? Thank you!" Fuuka said happily as she explained the days the club meets up. "I'll try my best, so let's work hard at it!"

"Yeah! I will too!" She said as she felt a bond with the other girl as said junior looked at the extra ingredients still out.

"What should I do? There's still more ingredients that I couldn't fit inside the lunch box…"

Minako raised both brows as she saw the stuff that was mixed and stuffed into the failed lunchbox. She didn't like to see the items go to waste as she placed her school bag down, washed her hands, and started to work on using up the rest of the ingredients to make what looks like dog food.

"Wow…" Fuuka said, amazed by what the other girl did. "That's amazing! You made that without even looking at a recipe…" She then giggled. "If we find a cute doggy in the neighborhood, we should give it this."

"Yeah." Minako said as she helped clean up, put the dog food she created in a doubled paper bag, and they headed back to the dorm together.

xxx

With Minato he waited by the open hallway, by the persimmon tree, thinking about the old couple when he heard his name and looked to see Yukari.

"Hey, you wanted to hang out?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah… you ready to go or do you have some things to take care of?"

"No, I'm good to go." She said, but the atmosphere was very awkward for both of them as they headed out of the school and towards the mall.

"Uh… do you want to do karaoke?" Minato asked.

"Oh… Sorry, I wasn't listening." Yukari said as she looked at the police station.

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, well, I think you already know this from Minako, but she and I came here sometime ago and there was this little boy that was just left here by his mother."

Minato was surprised to hear this. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Huh? She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what happened." He said as they sat on the bench as Yukari told him what happened the last time she was in the mall with his sister. When she was done with the story, he sighed.

"She didn't tell you about it? Honestly?"

"Yeah… And I'm not surprised." He said as he leaned back. "We know there are kids out there that aren't loved by their parents or there's just something there that caused a great rift, but we just never see it… I think that might've upset Sissy a bit."

"Oh…"

"Even though we know about you and your mom not being in good terms, we never met your mother, what point is there for us to worry about you when you seem to have it all together." He said as he looked up at the small skylight on the mall's ceiling. "Our parents left us before we truly had a chance to know them. We lived with a few other relatives before our aunt, but they were close to kicking the bucket by the time we were handed to them, and when they start disappearing from the picture, we were sent to another picture frame."

"That's very poetic in a tragic sense."

"One of the things that gets me through the day." He said with a smile. "I would tend to make up something funny to make Sissy smile." He then had a softer look to him. "Sissy always looks like Mom when she smiles."

Yukari felt a little sad that the other was thinking of his dead mother dearly while she couldn't bring up a good memory of her own mother. "Minako said something about treasuring the good memories for when things get bad."

"It helps most of the time." He said as he sighed. "Did the kid get back with his parents?"

"Officer Kurosawa found them, but we didn't stick around to see if they picked him up or not. And to be honest, I don't really wanna find out the outcome."

"You might not, but it's bugging me." He said as he got up. "And I like it if you come with me."

"Huh? Why?"

"Because facing the truth is the hardest thing all of us face every day. Noticeable or not."

Yukari was shocked to hear this as she seemed hesitant, but she nodded as she got up. "Okay." She said as they headed over to the police station.

"Oh, it's you two." The officer said as he looked up from his desk. "Looking for anything in particular again?"

"No sir, we're here to know what happened to the lost boy that was here when she and my sister turned in when they were here last."

"Ah, yes. Turns out the mother is diagnosed with an early stage of Alzheimer's."

"Alzheimer's? Doesn't that happen to old people?" Minato said as Yukari elbowed him.

"That used to be the case." Officer Kurosawa said. "But these days the mental disorders are popping up earlier in some people. And the boy's mother was one of the unfortunate ones to get it at an early age. Thankfully she's at the early stages so now she's being treated from what I know and the boy is staying with his grandparents for the time being."

"I see. It must be rough." Minato said.

"The kid didn't take the whole thing lightly, but after his father told him what was going on with his mother, the little guy bawled up like there's no tomorrow. I don't think he understood it all, but that his mother's mind forced her to forget about him for a moment. As for the mother, she ended up at the park and didn't know how she got there and was scared that the kid was gone."

"Thank you Officer, we just wanted to know about that." Yukari said, sounding a bit guilty.

"Stay out of trouble you two." He said as the two exited the station.

Minato looked to see Yukari looked very guilty as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not what you thought?" He asked as she shook her head. He nodded as he patted her shoulder, feeling that he had strengthened his bond to her a little. "But now you know the truth…"

"Yeah…"

"Be sure to tell Sissy what you found out."

"Huh?"

"You two were here when it happened, it only seems right that you would be the one to tell her." He said with a bit of a smile. "I think she would be glad to hear it from you."

Yukari blushed as she nodded before she bit her lower lip and her eyes started to look misty.

"Let's go to the shrine first before we go home…" He said as he led her out of the mall and to the shrine, where they spent a moment of peace as Yukari cried a little before she calmed down and he got her some water to drink as well as wash her face with to clean away some of the evidence. After that they headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Hey, Minato… I've been thinking…"

"About?"

"About Fuuka…"

Minato raised his brow. "Oh?"

"Remember the time I kept asking if Mitsuru-senpai forced her to join?" A cautious nod. "Well, when I think about it and actually talk to Fuuka, I realized that she's just doing her best like the rest of us, and that she's really happy to be with us." She then smiled. "So I have to do my best too!"

Minato smiled as he patted her back. "I'm glad to hear that. It took you a while."

"Hey!" She said as she playfully punched his side.

"You're gonna get it!" He said as she laughed and started running.

"Last one to the dorm buys everyone lunch!"

"Hey!"

xxxxx

Minako and Fuuka got to the dorm first, being greeted by Mitsuru, which they greeted back in kind.

"Hey…" Junpei said suddenly, looking up from a book that was a forced assignment. "Do you think The Lost will ever be cured?" He looked up at Minako, but the question was spread out to everyone.

"I think so." Minako said as the seniors looked at her then back at Junpei when he started to talk.

"Yeah, maybe if we defeat a Shadow, the spirits it ate will return to their owners. But then again, they might just get digested."

"It's an unfortunate possibility," Mitsuru said, "but we don't know for sure that it can be a result."

"Wouldn't they be comatose then?" Minako asked.

"Another unfortunate possibility." She said when Yukari opened the door and ran into the lounge, grabbing onto Minako.

"I won!" Yukari cheered as she was catching her breath.

"Uh… Congrats…?" Minako asked as Minato came up, panting heavily.

"Damn… I thought I was in better shape than this…" Minato said as he closed the door behind him.

"Remember our deal! You pay for everyone's lunch!"

"I didn't agree to it!" He said as Minako giggled.

"Sounds like you two are getting along."

"Oh! Minako! I got some news to tell you!" Yukari said as she dragged her upstairs.

"Well that's different." Junpei said as he looked at Minato. "What did you do?"

"We just talked." He said as he caught his breath. "But man, I had no idea she can run that fast…" He headed over to the kitchen to get himself some water, only to notice that they were running low on a few food items and went back out to the lounge where he saw his sister come back down and mentioned about going out, which he mentioned that he was coming as well and they left to go to the pharmacy in the mall.

xxxxx

When they arrived at the mall, they saw Tanaka there and he mentioned them over as they were ready to listen to what he had to say.

"Um, today we'll talk about—" He started, but he looked angry. "Oh, dear me… I-I just can't concentrate. I get so worked up when I picture his face!"

"Who're you talking about?" Minato asked, raising a brow as he never seen the man like this before.

Tanaka seemed to have calmed down a bit. "One of my employees. I suppose I should have seen it coming…" He said as he started to explain. "There was a young man who was working for me… He was a good kid who graduated from a well-known university. But this month, he wasn't able to meet his sales quota, so I docked his pay. After that, his self-confidence went down the drain. Then he just stopped coming to work."

"What happened to him?" Minako asked.

"He probably locked himself inside his room. I don't care." He said as he really did seem unconcerned. "I just mailed him a dismissal notice, C.O.D. It's his fault that the company is in the red this month! All that money I wasted on training him…" He seemed to growl a little. "It makes me sick just thinking about it… Uhh…"

"Is it always about money?" Minato asked, making the man smile.

"Of course! I love money. Money won't betray me like he did." He said as he seemed passionate about money. "It's difficult growing up with no money…" This caught the twins' attention without his notice. "When you can't even afford shoes for PE class! Going barefoot in the gym during winter can be a torture!" He then looked at them, seeming to study their faces. "I've been thinking… How would you two like to model exclusively for my company?"

"Eh?"

"Your innocent appearances would be perfect for camouflaging the ugly realities of business!" He said as he looked serious. "Think about it, will you? You won't ever have to worry about being able to buy shoes for PE."

'Do we really look like we're having money troubles?' Minato thought as he and his sister felt their bond getting a bit stronger as they also felt that the man had some strong feeling of caring towards them, even though it's not showing at all.

"Oopsies, I better get back to work." He said when he looked at his watch. "I have to re-evaluate the budget…" He sighed. "If I decide to hire someone new, it'll cost a fortune to train them." He then left, talking to himself.

"Well that was different…" Minato said as they headed to the pharmacy to pick up what they came to get and headed back to the dorm to sleep.


	67. Episode 66: Troubling New Rumor

Ep. 66: Troubling New Rumor

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/19-

The day started off normal enough with the exception that everyone was up and in the dining table area to have breakfast together, in which Junpei made his toast look like exaggerated vampire teeth, making Minako laugh and Yukari to be grossed out.

"At least Ko-tan has a sense of humor!" Junpei said as he ate his toast. "You really need to take a lesson from her, Yuka-tan."

"I'm not the one who needs lessons." Yukari said as she looked at Minako. "And you have to quit encouraging him."

"Huh? Why? I thought it was funny." She said.

"But he can't always do that…"

"It's not hurting anyone, and he doesn't do it all the time." She reasoned.

"Forget it Yukari," Minato said "Sissy is the kind of girl that's nice to a guy she trusts. And quite frankly, Junpei isn't a bad guy. A bit annoying, but that's part of his charm."

"Gee, thanks a lot." Junpei said dully as Mitsuru announced that they should clean up and start heading out.

xxxxx

When they reached the school, the five juniors were talking about this and that as Junpei had his arms around both Minako and Fuuka, one who didn't know what was going on and one who just played along.

"Yo! Aki!" Called out a senior to Akihiko as he looked to see one of the club members in the boxing club.

"Oh, hey." He said. "What's up?"

"Nothing much." The senior said as he noticed the junior group. "Hey, isn't that Arisato-chan with that dumbass Iori?"

"Iori isn't like that." Akihiko defended. "And yes that's Minako-chan with him and everyone else."

"She's pretty cute for a junior, don't you think?"

Akihiko didn't like the tone the other was using and more so from the way he was looking.

"But man it sucks that she's Iori's girl."

"Huh?"

"Dude, you live in the same dorm and don't know?" The senior said. "I heard that she and Iori are an item. At first I didn't believe it, but I have seen them together a lot when I'm getting a burger or something."

This seemed to trouble the other senior as he shrugged it off. "It's just a rumor. If they were really going out it would've been known to everyone in the dorm."

"You sure? I know a guy that kept his relationship secret for about a year, and he was going out with three chicks!"

"Would you shut the hell up? They happen to be friends of mine!" Akihiko shouted at the other, who stepped back.

"Sorry man, geez… No need to get defensive on me."

"Then quit talking shit about my dorm mates and spreading rumors that you don't know the truth. It's annoying."

"Okay, okay, I get it…" The other said as they reached to the building. "See ya around man…"

"Yeah…" Akihiko said, but he was now troubled with the thought of Minako and Junpei together as he recalled a lot of times they hung out together. He didn't even pay attention to the fawning girls that surround him as he mindlessly, yet gently pushed them aside to get through and enter his classroom.

xxxxx

When lunch rolled around, Minako exited her classroom while Minato went out and headed to the opposite direction to get the lunches while she went towards the restroom to splash some cold water to her face to wake herself up.

When she got out and felt a bit more awake, she saw Akihiko about to head down the stairs.

"Minako-chan…"

"Hello Senpai, how are you?"

"I'm good." He said. "Er… I have something I wanted to ask you."

She blinked as she tilted her head to the side. "What is it?" She asked curiously, seeing the troubled look on his face.

"Well…" He started to say as he shook his head. "No, never mind. Sorry to bother you..." He then headed down the stairs.

She watched him go as she was a bit concerned. 'Senpai is acting a bit strange…' She thought as she decided to meet up with him after school.

xxxxx

When the last class lecture was over, Minako gathered her stuff, told the others she had plans, and headed out of the room.

She knew the layout of the school by this point and knew the best way to get to where the laboratory hall was and by pass the fangirls that were sure after her skin at this point. When she got there, he stood there, rubbing his eyes and looking as if he has a huge weight on his shoulders, and she can also see the hoard of fangirls staring dreamily at him, not even registering that he was under some kind of stress. She went up to him, a surprise to the fangirls, and softly called out, in case he had a migraine.

"Oh, Mianko-chan…" He said, a bit surprised to see her. "I didn't see you."

"I'm starting to master the ability that's similar to a ninja's." She said, making the other chuckle. 'There's the Senpai I know.' She thought happily.

"What's up?" Akihiko asked, looking a little better.

"I was wondering if you'd like to walk back to the dorm." She said as he nodded.

"Okay, let's get going then." He said as they headed out of the dorm, the fangirls glaring at the girl but not doing anything about it.

xxxxx

The two went from the school to the dorm in complete silence and this slightly concerned Minako as she studied the senior's face, which looked as though he seemed to be debating something in his mind and wasn't happy with the results that came up.

"Senpai? Are you angry?" She asked, snapping the other to the present moment.

"Huh? Oh, no… Sorry." He said, looking apologetic as he took a deep breath. "Look, if you don't' want to tell me, then you don't have to." He looked to see a very confused expression on her face. "It's just… Is it true you're going out with Junpei?"

She was surprised by this as she shook her head. "Oh, no. He's just a friend." She said. "In fact, he's like another brother, a bit funnier than Toto-nii, since he's a bit more of the serious type. But no, we're not going out."

"I see…" He said.

"Did you think we were going out?" She asked.

"Oh, no, it was a rumor I heard. Sorry." He apologized, guiltily.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Senpai." She said. "Like Toto-nii said this morning, I'm just too nice. And Yukari did say that I'm more like one of the guys a lot of the times."

He looked at her as he did remember a lot of the times she mentioned and nodded. "I-I see. Anyway, I'm sorry." He sighed heavily. "It's bad enough that I listened to a rumor, but then I confronted you about it…" He looked to the ground guiltily. "It was incredibly rude of me."

"Senpai… I'm glad you told me though. I had no idea a rumor like that was going around." She said with a sigh. "No doubt it's because of a misunderstanding because he and I hung out a lot since I transferred here…"

Akihiko looked to see the troubled expression on her face, something he hasn't seen since he first saw her when she and her brother joined SEES, and he didn't like to see that expression on her then and didn't like it now. He placed his hand on her shoulder, making her look up as he smiled. "If I hear anyone say that again, I'll tell them it's not true."

Minako smiled gratefully and nodded. "Please do."

"Yeah, I don't like rumors either." He said seriously with a nod, before smiling. "Umm… Should we go get something on our way home?" He asked when he noticed that they were already in front of the dorm. "Oh, we're already all the way back to the dorm." He looked at her. "Um… Do you want anything to eat?"

Minako thought about it. "Well… I'm in the mood for something sweet…"

"Yeah…" He said with a gentle smile. "That might be nice for a change."

'It looks like whatever's troubling him is gone now.' She thought as she saw his expression change dramatically. 'Was he worried about me?' She felt her bond with him get a little stronger.

"Well then, shall we?" He said.

"Senpai, I can cook something. Save some money that way for the day at least."

"You sure?" He asked as she nodded.

"Yep! I'm in the cooking club with Fuuka-chan, and I'm okay with it, but I need to get some practice in."

Akihiko grinned as he nodded. "Okay, I'll try out whatever dish you make."

She smiled as they entered the dorm where she started to cook in the kitchen, which she created a rice and egg omelet with diced up pork and chopped vegetables. She presented the finished dish to Akihiko as he took a bite of it, chewing it slowly, before nodding.

"This is good. A seven out of ten."

She smiled happily. "Thank you, Senpai." She said as they enjoyed their meals, in which Junpei entered.

"I'm back." He said as he sniffed the air. "Did someone cook?"

"Welcome home Junpei." She said as she took the apron off. "There's some left overs if you want something."

Junpei saw both Minako and Akihiko there and smiled. "Sweet! Thanks Ko-tan! You're the greatest gal friend a guy can ask for!" He said as he headed towards the stairs. "Oh, I'm going to be on my way to the store. I'll probably pick up something there instead, but if you save me a portion, that will be awesome."

"Okay. But what are you going to get at the store?"

"Something I've been saving up to get for a while." He simply responded as he went up the stairs.

The two looked at each other as she shrugged, making him grin as he finished his meal.

"What will you be doing now?" He asked as Junpei ran down stairs, said he was leaving, and went out of the door, making the two look at the now closed door before Minako responded.

"Well, I plan on studying for the rest of the night." She looked at the calendar that wasn't too far from where they sat on the kitchen bar. "Eighteen days before the next full moon… I should probably talk to Brother about the next time we go to Tartarus, when he gets here of course."

Akihiko nodded as he slightly admired the determined way she was going about this, when Yukari and Fuuka entered through the door.

"We're back!" Fuuka called.

"Welcome back!" Minako said as she spun around in the rotating bar stool. "How are you guys?"

"We're doing good." Yukari said as she looked between the two. "What about you two?"

"I'm doing okay." Minako responded.

"The usual." Akihiko said as he got up and patted Minako's head. "Thanks for dinner, Minako-chan, it was great."

"You're welcome, Senpai." She said as the other headed up stairs.

"Am I missing something?" Yukari asked raising a brow.

"Nope, I just felt like cooking and Senpai needed to talk to me about something." Minako said as she got off from the stool. "So, what subject are we going over?"

xxx

With Minato, he wasn't entirely sure why his sister was in a big hurry, but he shrugged his shoulders and walked out of the classroom, only to see Chihiro there. "Chihiro-chan?" He asked as he came up.

"Oh, h-hello, Minato-kun…" She said as she sounded a bit nervous.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Oh, y-yes… Um… Would you… like to go somewhere with me?" She asked a faint blush was on her face.

"Sure, I don't have anything planned." He said as he followed her out of the school and to the Sweet Shop in the strip mall, where they had a good time, talking about random stuff before they left the sweet shop.

Minato looked at her, only to notice she seemed a bit down, if not nervous about something. "Is something wrong?" He asked, surprising her.

"N-No, nothing's wrong… Wh-Why, does it seem like something's wrong?" She said as she felt around her face. "Oh-Oh my! Is there red bean jam on my face!?"

"No, Chihiro, you just seem kinda down." He said, calming her down.

Chihiro blushed as she took a deep breath. "Remember when you saved me from that creep, Minato-san?"

"Yeah."

"From that day on… my health hasn't been so great… the doctor said I'm fine, but…" She took a deep breath as she seemed to have made up her mind. "I guess I'll tell you, Minato-san, since you've been so nice to me." She blushed a bit more. "B-But, don't think I'm weird, okay!?"

"Okay." He said simply, waiting for her to continue.

"L-Last night, um… I-I… You see, I had this…" She was stuttering. "I-I-I have dreams about you every single night, Minato-san!"

This was a shock to Minato as he blinked at her. He can see the bags under her eyes and knew she wasn't joking; she wasn't the type to joke. "It's just a coincidence."

"I-I thought it was probably just a coincidence, too, but…" She said as she seemed giddy. "I dream about you every night… This has never happened to me before." She looked up at him. "I appreciate how nice you've been to me, Minato-san… But… one of these days, I… might want to be more than just your friend…"

Minato can sensed her care towards him and felt the bond strengthening as he saw her blush red.

"Oh! Sorry! I've just been babbling like an idiot…" She said as she looked down at her shoes. "I-I get so nervous when I'm around you, Minato-san…" She looked up at him once more with a smile "especially when you look at me that way…" She looked away again. "Sorry."

"Hey… Don't be hard on yourself." He said as she nodded.

"I-I'm always talking about my problems… Minato-san, you're just too nice." She said as she seemed happy. "I-I think I'm starting to overcome my fear of men! So far, I can only talk to boys I know, but… I can almost look them in the eye!" She looked up at him. "With your help, Minato-san, I feel like I can do even better!" She then closed her eyes. "As long as it's nothing scary… I'll be fine!"

Minato knew he was now in a very sensitive situation and he looked at her hand and held it.

"Oh…" She opened her eyes to look at their hands. "Mianto-san…" She looked back up to him, smiling happily as she held onto his hand, and it seems like she would never let go. "It's so rough… and strong… and warm…"

Minato blushed at that as they walked halfway home while holding her hand before they had to let go to go their separate ways.

xxxxx

He entered the dorm to find his sister, Yukari, and Fuuka at the dining table area, working on their homework together, which they noticed him come in.

"Hey Toto-nii!" Minako said happily, only to see that he looked different. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing..." He said as he headed up the stairs.

"What's up with him?" Yukari asked as Minako looked concerned.

"I don't know… I've never seen him like this before." She said as she excused herself to head up stairs.

"Minako-chan really cares for her brother, doesn't she?" Fuuka said.

"They practically had each other since their parents died." Yukari said. "I'm not surprised that they're as close as they are."

xxxxx

Up in the twins' room, Minako entered to see her brother, lying face down on the bed. "Toto-nii…" She said softly as she sat down beside him, rubbing his back. "Toto-nii… What's wrong?"

"Something happened today…"

"Good or bad?"

"That's just it… I don't know…" He said as he laid to his side, facing his sister. "You know Chihiro?" A nod was his reply. "She admitted that she likes me. And I mean the big like."

She blinked as she patted his head. "You like her, right?"

"Yeah, I do." He said as he sighed. "But I don't know if I like her like that."

She rubbed his back. "I wish I can tell you what you could do."

"I don't expect an answer because I think I know what it is." He said as he sighed and turned to lay on his back. "I'm doomed…"

She smacked his stomach playfully, earning an annoyed look from him. "You're a nice guy, Bro. You'll figure it out."

"Gee… Thanks Sissy…" He said as he looked at the ceiling. "Just you wait, some guy will admit to liking you and you'll have no idea what to do."

"I know, but until then, I got the guys here I love dearly, I don't need to look for one."

"Oi, oi…" He said as they both chuckled before calling it a night.


	68. Episode 67: Shadow Order

Ep. 67: Shadow Order

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/20-

The next morning, the twins were walking towards the school when they overheard a conversation.

"Oh, my teacher told me about Kirijo Mitsuru, the Student Council President. She's going overseas after she graduates. Probably so she can run the Kirijo Company later…"

"Wow, that's crazy. She's so different from us…"

"The funny thing is, I hear she still lives in the dorms. I wonder why… Maybe her parents were strict when she was growing up."

That's when the first bell rung and they rushed to the building. When they reached to their classroom, they sat down and looked at each other.

"I wonder what's going on." Minato said. "That's the second time I heard about the Kirijo company mentioned."

"Yeah…" Minako said as the teacher came in.

xxxxx

The school day went on like molasses before the last class of the day ended and they were getting ready to leave with Yukari, since Junpei was going to hang out with some of his friends, when Mitsuru came in and went up to them.

"Mind if I interrupt?" She asked as the three nodded for her to continue. "I was just told by the Chairman that he'll be stopping by this evening. When you get back, come to the fourth floor meeting room."

"Oh, um… okay." Yukari said.

"I'll see you all later." Mitsuru said as she left the room.

"Not staying for tea?" Minato said as the two girls looked at him. "What?"

"Let's get going." Minako said as she looked at Yukari. "I don't have anything to do today, do you?"

"Nope." Yukari said.

"Then let's get going." Minako said as she grabbed hers and her brother's bags.

"Hey! Give me back my bag!" Minato said as he took back his bag and they headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they reached to the dorm building, they saw Fuuka playing with a white dog, which Minako recognized from some time ago.

"Koro-chan, give me your paw!" Fuuka said as she held out her hand for the dog to place his paw on.

"Oooh, he did it!" Yukari said. "What a smart dog."

"Oh, hi." Fuuka said as she got up and looked at the dog. "Koro-chan, go say hi! You can do that, right?"

The white dog barked as he went up to Minako, nuzzling her.

"It's good to see you again too." Minako said as she bent down to pet him.

"You know him, Sissy?"

"I was as the shrine one day and he came to cheer me up. Didn't you?" She said as the dog licked her cheek, making her giggle.

"His name's Koromaru." Fuuka said, smiling at the sight.

"Koromaru… What a beautiful name." Minako said, scratching behind the dog's ears.

"Isn't it? I've seen him sitting by the steps of the shrine." Fuuka said, smiling as Minako looked like a sweet child with a best dog buddy.

"She's in love." Minato joked, but there was a softness to his eyes as she looked up at him with a pout.

"Oh…" Said a mid-age woman. "This dog still goes on walks all by himself?"

"Whaddya mean?" Yukari asked.

"He used to belong to the priest at the Naganaki Shrine." The old woman explained. "Every afternoon, the two of them went this way for a walk."

"That explains it." Fuuka said.

"Well, until the priest passed away."

"He passed away?" Both Fuuka and Minako said, a bit shocked to hear this information.

"Oh, you haven't heard the story? It was about six months ago…" The woman started to explain. "The priest was hit by a car while walking his dog. He didn't survive. Ever since then, that dog sits patiently by the site of the accident. And he goes for a walk every day, just like when his owner was still alive…"

The woman seemed to keep talking when Minako looked at the red eyes of the dog, seeing the human-like intelligence in them as he displayed mourning. She petting him gently as she could emphasize his grief when she remembered her parents.

"Oh shoot, I have to get going! My son will be back soon!" And with that the woman left.

"Aww, you're such a loyal dog!" Yukari said as she petted the dog. "Good boy!" This made the dog wag his tail in which Fuuka seemed surprised.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Yukari asked as she stopped petting.

"Oh, nothing… Sorry." Fuuka said as Minato petted the dog as well.

"Well then, Koro-chan, you're kinda like us." He said kindly. "Our parents died from a car accident too."

Koromaru licked his face, making him chuckle.

"Hey, if you're ever around, you can visit us." He said as the dog barked. "You're a smart guy, aren't cha?"

"Sounds like I'm not the only one in love." Minako said as Minato chuckled.

"Okay, okay, rub it in." He said as he heard the girls' chuckle.

"This is so cute." Yukari said as she had her cell out.

"Delete it." He said as she grinned.

"Ah… No." She said as she closed it.

"Wait, isn't the Chairman coming today?" Fuuka said as the three nodded."Then, we should go get ready."

"Yeah." Yukari said as she petted Koromaru once more. "See you later, Koro-chan."

"See ya later boy." Minato said as he followed the girls in the doors.

Minako scratched behind the dog's ears as she smiled at him. "I'm glad I got to see you again, Koromaru." She said as she got up. "I'm Minako. You take care and I hope we meet again soon. Okay?" Her response was a happy bark and a tail wag. "See you, Koro-chan." With that she entered the dorm as Koromaru continued his walk.

xxxxx

A few hours later, the Chairman arrived and everyone headed up to the fourth floor meeting room.

"Hello, everyone." The Chairman opened up as they were all seated. "I wanted to let you know how my research has been going. This concerns those Shadows that have been appearing during full moons. I want you to listen closely; it might be hard to follow."

Everyone was in a hushed silence as the man continued.

"Shadows can be divided into twelve categories, according to their characteristics. This, we've known for a while. It's like their class or order. Now, I've classified the special Shadows we've seen so far, and…" He shook his head. "It's simply fascinating! Those four Shadows belonged to Categories I through IV, in order of their appearance! They may have looked different than the more common ones, but the classification scheme still applies."

"Is that something we should be excited about?" Junpei asked.

"Oh, I get it…" Fuuka said. "There's twelve in all… Eight we haven't seen yet."

"That's exactly right, Fuuka! You're quite sharp." The Chairman said proudly.

"Oh, uh, okay…" Junpei said. "But, what are they after?"

"That's a good question, and that's what we haven't figured out yet: their motive. They don't kill their prey; they feed on their minds. It can be considered predation, but is it really? Is there an underlying intent behind their behavior? The purpose of the Shadows as a whole… That's what we need to consider."

"This is interesting." Akihiko said. "But, no matter what, we still have to beat the rest of 'em."

"I agree." Mitsuru said. "That's about all we can do at this point."

"Eight more, huh? Lucky us."

"Eight full moons… Eight months…" Minato said. "This will be interesting…"

"I don't know about the eight thing." Minako said. "After all, there was that one time we took down two large Shadows. Who's to say that will happen again?"

"Good point." Minato said.

"According to the data," Fuuka said "each one has been stronger than the last, so we better start training harder…"

"We'll manage. We've got plenty of time." Akihiko said.

"I agree." Minato said.

"What about Tartarus? Why does it even exist?" Yukari asked as Mitsuru looked away, having a guilty look that went unnoticed by everyone except Yukari.

"If we continue doing this, we might find the answers." Minato said as he yawned. "I'm tired…"

"You're always tired…" Minako said as she looked at the Chairman. "If all this is the case, are the Shadows actually working together then?"

"I believe the real question is, do Shadows act independent of one another? Or do they work as a team? Do Shadows devour human minds for some unknown purpose? Or is it simply for their own sustenance? That is why we must learn more about them."

"Seems like a lot though… And they seem to get stronger all the time…"

"Don't worry about that." Akihiko said. "We'll continue to progress up Tartarus. We have to do our best, it's as simple as that."

"Right!" Minako said as Minato patted her head.

"Quit being cute."

"Toto-nii…" She said with a pout, making a few of them chuckle.

"Speaking of Tartarus, I'm kinda in the mood to go tonight." Minato said.

"Huh!?" Yukari said.

"Why not? Seems logical." He said as he looked at his sister as they remembered about the missing person up somewhere in Tartarus. 'Besides, that person has been in there a few days, it's time to get her out of there.' He thought as everyone moved out of the meeting room.

"I'm going to the pharmacy right quick." Minako said.

"I'm coming as well." Minato said as they left the dorm before anyone else could get a word in.

xxxxx

When they reached the mall, they spotted Tanaka there and went up to him, which he noticed them and seemed pleased to see him.

"Ah, I was wondering if I was going to see you two again." He said.

"What's been going on?" Minato asked.

"Well… Recently, my alumni association organized a class reunion."

"Sounds like fun." Minako said as the man smiled.

"I had a splendid time! I still laugh thinking about it." He seemed cheerful before he sighed again. "I doubt you two would understand how I feel, since you're still young, but a high school reunion is a very important event. It's the perfect opportunity to show everyone else how pathetically their lives turned out. For example, I ran into a classmate who used to make fun of me for only having rice in my bento, and another fellow who once strung up my holey socks on the flagpole." He then smiled. "Now, they both look at me with envy. Their annual salary doesn't even compare to my monthly income! My business is on a roll, and my private life is also very satisfying."

'So he's a poor kid who became rich as an adult, but his way of doing things is questionable…' Minato thought as the man pointed to them.

"Let me take you under my wing, as our exclusive model. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Don't think I would extend this offer to just anyone."

The twins felt that they've made a stronger bond with the man as they sense that the man has strong feelings for them, which at this point they didn't know if it was a good thing or not.

"By the way, remember that 40,000 yen you two gave me? I think we can call it even…" He chuckled. "My time is worth at least a hundred thousand yen per hour! Think of all the free advice I've given you!" And with that he left the twins be with a grin on his face.

"He seems happy." Minako said.

"Yeah…" Minato said as they headed to the pharmacy, purchased some things they might need, and headed to the Velvet Room to hand over the eyeglass cloth.

"This must be the sort of thing one would use to clean one's glasses. I see… This is no mere cloth." Theodore said as he took his glove off to feel it. "Fine microfibers, maximum flexibility and absorbency, and an ideal size… It's perfect for wiping glasses."

"And yet," Said Elizabeth as she pointed to the dark stain on the cloth "unless I'm mistaken, this stain here is soy sauce. That would mean that it could be used to wipe all manner of things, not simply glasses. Thank you very much. You may have this back. We do not wear glasses, nor do we have any opportunities to wipe soy sauce off of things."

"Thank you." Minato said as he received back the eyeglass cloth as they received their rewards, headed out of the room, and made their way back to the dorm to wait for the Dark Hour.


	69. Episode 68: Rescue Mission

Ep. 68: Rescue Mission

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/20-

When they arrived to Tartarus, the twins talked quietly between them.

"They did say the person has be somewhere between floors 44 and 47, right?" Minato asked as Minako nodded. "We better start from floor 36 and work our way up."

"What if they're expecting to go up higher than last time?"

"Leave that to me." He said as everyone was waiting for them. "Hey, Fuuka, mind if I ask you something?"

"Oh, uh, sure…?"

"Can you sense other things than Shadows?"

"Uh… I can try. I just can't do that with so many levels…"

"What's the reason for this suddenly?" Mitsuru asked.

"Remember when we have to rescue Fuuka-chan?" Minako said suddenly. "Well, when we were over at the Police Station, we looked up at the missing persons board and read the current missing person profile, and there's only one that stood out among the others."

"Among others?" Akihiko questioned. "In what way?"

"In the description it put in, Ayako-san, a senior in our school, went missing for a few days, but she was apparently supposed to be with a friend's at the time she went missing. Her friend reported that around midnight they were at the club and the next thing she knew Ayako-san was just gone. As if she vanished. She remembered holding hands with her when it happened."

"So we think, because of this oddity, that Ayako-san became a victim of being called by the Shadows and has been stuck here a few days now." Minato said. "That's the main reason why we're here, to be honest."

"You should've just gone up and said it, dude!" Junpei said. "We wouldn't hesitate to help someone."

"Thanks."

"Okay, I'll try to locate this person."

"I have a hunch where you should look." Minako said. "Try floors 44 through 47."

"Okay." Fuuka said as she summoned her Persona and closed her eyes to focus. After about five minutes in she announced that she has found the person they were looking for on the forty-fifth floor.

"Okay." Minato said as he looked at everyone. "Last time I checked, every time we go up a level, the stairs that will lead us down will disappear. So we'll be starting from floor thirty-six."

"And we'll still encounter Shadows until we find this person, so it will count as our training." Minako said.

"Let's get going then." Minato said as they headed up to the thirty-sixth level, where they went individually or with pairs to fight of the Shadows in the levels thirty-six through forty-four, before regrouping on floor forty-four.

"How is everyone?" Minako asked as she and Yukari found the rest of the group.

"We're doing good." Junpei said with a grin. "Mitsuru-senpai and I kicked a ton of ass!"

Mitsuru nodded. "Indeed. Iori has also protected me from a number of Shadows that uses fire attacks. Since that is my weakest element."

"And Mitsuru-senpai totally saved me with Shadows using wind."

"Glad to hear that." Minako said happily as she looked to see Akihiko and Minato looking as if they didn't break a sweat. "You guys don't look like you worked hard."

"These guys just seem easy now." Akihiko said. "That and your brother pretty much did all the work doing a lot of switching Personas."

"Really Toto-nii? I haven't summoned mine once."

"She really did a lot of work defeating Shadows." Yukari said.

"Hey, you did your part well."

"Yeah, but I'm not big on battle, but I did a lot of healing, and I think my Persona's healing ability has improved a lot because I'm making sure you're okay."

"Yukari-chan…" Minako said as Minato chuckled.

"Okay, okay. We all did a good job fighting off the Shadows when we're not a huge team, but we are on a mission." Minato said as he pointed to the stairs. "And we'll find that in the next level." With that they headed up and spread out to find the missing girl.

"Hey! I found her!" Junpei called out, in which Fuuka notified everyone else to head over to where Junpei was and saw the curled up form of the missing girl, holding her hands over her ears and looking frightened.

Mitsuru went up to her fellow senior and talked to her, which the girl looked up and looked a bit relieved as the Student Council President held out her hand to the other girl, helping her up.

"We found what we're looking for." Minato said. "Let's get out of here." And with that, everyone went to the transport device and were at the entrance.

"Let's get you somewhere safe." Mitsuru said to the shaken up girl.

"This is a dream, right?" Asked the girl.

"Yes…" Mitsuru said as they all headed out of Tartarus and they headed over to the police station where they found a place for the girl to lie on and waited out the Dark Hour until time resumed normally once more, in which Officer Kurosawa seemed surprised to see them, but saw that they have found the missing girl, asleep with exhaustion, and they headed out.

"Woohoo! We saved someone!" Junpei cheered.

"But that also means there will be more that will end up there." Yukari said.

"We can handle it." Minato said. "It's better we get them out then leave them in there to be victims to the Shadows."

"Good point." Yukari said as they headed to the dorm to rest for the night.


	70. Episode 69: Luck and Assurance

Ep. 69: Luck and Assurance

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Determined

-6/21-

The next morning was a day off for everyone in the dorm and Minako was wide awake despite going through Tartarus the night before. Minato was still asleep, having being tired for a few days before their exploration/search-and-rescue mission. She decided to let him sleep as she got up from the bed, changed, and headed out of the dorm to head to Naganaki Shrine, hoping to see Koromaru again, only to meet up with Junpei and Yukari there at the little luck stand, drawing out their luck.

"Wha!? 'Worst Luck'!? Not again!" Junpei groaned.

"I have 'Decent Luck'." Yukari said which she wasn't displeased about it.

"Hey you two!" Minako called out as she went up to them. "What's going on?"

"Hey! Ko-tan!" Junpei said as he and Yukari looked at her. "What's up?"

"Nothing, just figured I go out for a walk today." She said as she looked at the paper in their hands. "What are you guys doing?"

"We're drawing lucks here." Yukari said. "Have you done this before?" She asked as the other girl shook her head that she didn't. "It's quite simple. You think of the person you want to get closer to, do a prayer, and you draw the piece of paper, saying what luck you'll get. Some say if you get the best luck, you'll feel better and may even find money."

"Sounds simple enough." She said.

"Try it, Ko-tan. The worst thing you'll get is 'Worst Luck'."

"You're one to talk." Yukari said.

"Okay, okay, I'll try it." Minako said so the two wouldn't argue as she went up to the fortune stand. She thought of Akihiko, since the last time they spoke he seemed concerned for her and they did enjoy their time together and would like to have another one of those moments in the future, and pulled a piece of paper out, which read 'Best Luck', and oddly enough she felt great, better than she did this morning.

"Oh wow! You got a really good one!" Yukari said, looking over her shoulder.

"Lucky…" Junpei said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Oh well, wanna hit the town for a bit?"

"Okay." Minako said as they headed out only to find 10,000 yen on the ground.

"Oh wow! That's really lucky!"

"You're buying."

"Junpei!"

Minako could only laugh at their antics as she spent the day with them.

xxx

With Minato, he woke up in the afternoon, and went to the laptop, where he saw Maya and typed in a hello.

'_woah, did u just get here? We signed on the same tiem! The weathers nice today huh? Let's go outside! ('') ingame, duh Traesto! &= (^o^)/'_

He smiled as he controlled his character to go to the Konan District in the game as he saw Maya's character stretching.

'_The air I nice, even tho the world has ended ;P pshyeah right… it's just a game… we should go lvl or sumthing I'm so lazy irl tatsu… I haven't even gotten dressed or put on makeup T_T' _Then Maya stands at attention._ 'AAARGH!11;alskjf;alskdjfa;slkf I'm so pissed off rite now! E-san is such a stupid eh so bee! t(-_-t)'_

Minato raised a brow as he typed in 'Who's E-san?'

'…_tatsuya, u know too much i shouldn't have mentioned his name, huh? _ HahahHhahHa! Rolfmao!1 dun get me busted, k? O=)'_ Maya typed in, seeming to be having fun as her character looked around. _'erm, there arnt that many players ne more, most of em left for the new mmo, CoW… there were a lot of dupers an goldfarmers, but still… =/ its good tho cuz it lets us talk about personal things rite? =p … maya IS a shy girl, u know… ::blush:: lol… see, E-san is a teacher with seniority over me… oh noes! U can't figure out what my job is can u? O_o'_

Minato blinked as he typed in his reponse. 'Are you a teacher?'

'_ya, ur smart O_O I knew u'd figure it out you get an A+ for reading comprehension today! Lol d-^_^' _Maya responded and seemed happy.

'Wait… comprehension teacher…?' Minato thought as he thought of his homeroom teacher, Toriumi-san. 'Can't be…'

'_now u know I'm a teacher.'_ Maya continued to type. _'hey! I just figured sumthing out o_O when I complain to u, I feel better afterwards! xD from now on we HAVE to group together promise, k? =l'_

Minato couldn't help but smile as he felt his bond with his online friend had gotten a little stronger.

'_I'm so pumped, I think I'll clean the bathroom xD it's been 2 months o_O'_ And with that Maya signed off, but then signed back on again. _'don't mention that 'SOB' stuff, k? it's our little secret! _'_ and with that she signed off.

Minato signed off as well and sighed. "Well that was different." He said to no one in particular as he got up from the chair when he cell went off. "Moshi, moshi…" He waited when he smiled to hear that it was Chihiro. "Hey Chihiro-chan, how are you?" He asked.

"_I-I'm doing well… Um… Minato-kun, do you want to see a movie?"_

"A movie? Sure."

"_If you already have plans though…"_

"I don't have any kind of plan at the moment." He said as he got his shoes on. "I'll be over at the station if you want to meet up."

"_I… Yes, I'll meet you there."_

"See you." He said as he headed out of the dorm.

xxxxx

When he got to the station, he saw her, but she looked nervous as she looked around like a nervous meerkat, but calmed down when he went up to her. "Everything okay?" He asked. "You seem a bit nervous."

"Oh, i-it's nothing!" She said as she mentioned about going to the theatre to get their tickets.

After the movie ended, they headed out of the theatre, only for Minato to notice that she was still looking nervous. "Are you sure everything is okay?" He asked. "You seem to be on edge since I saw you at the station."

Chihiro sighed as she looked down. "Sorry about that." She said. "I ruined the movie for you, didn't I?"

"Something on your mind?" He asked as she nodded.

"When I'm worried, I can't concentrate…" She said as she started to tremble. "I-I was afraid I might see that guy from before…"

"Then I'll help you again." Minato said calmly as Chihiro looked up at him and smiled.

"R-Right. I'm with you, Minato-san, so I should be fine." She said as she seemed to have calmed down. "But, please try not to get into any fights. I don't want you to get hurt."

He nodded as he walked her home, talked a little bit, and left to head back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minako, she and the other two found Fuuka and they were heading back to the dorm when they came across Koromaru, who barked happily and ran up to them.

"Hi Koro-chan!" Minako said happily as she was licked.

"Hey there Koromaru!" Junpei said as he scratched behind the dog's ears. "Doing your rounds?" This was responded with a bark. "Awesome!"

Yukari smiled at the sight of this as she got her chance to pet him. "Koromaru, you're such a loyal dog… And cute, too."

Junpei had to chuckle at this. "Man, I wish I was a dog, so I could get girls' attention."

Minako giggled. "Dogs are good at that, huh boy?" She said as Koromaru nuzzled her. "Aww!"

Fuuka then thought of something. "Don't you think Akihiko-senpai would look good with a dog? Of course not an unusual one, just an ordinary playful dog…"

"Yeah, that's true." Yukari agreed as she giggled. "I could see them running on the beach together…"

Minako thought about this visual and pictured Akihiko with a dog like Koromaru and smiled at the thought. "That just fits perfectly!"

Junpei sighed. "Akihiko already is hounded by most the female student body, add a dog in the equation and you're looking at double the admirers."

"True, but it's just a thought." Yukari said. "Besides, with everything that's happening, I don't think either of us could afford to take care of a pet."

Minako nodded sadly as she petted the slightly coarse fur. "Yeah, that's a real bummer…"

"Well, the only pet I've ever took care of were fish." Fuuka said. "My father is allergic to dogs and cats, anything with fur, and I don't like the idea of having a reptile as a pet." She shivered at the thought. "And I don't even want to think about the few giant bugs that are optional pets."

Yukari shivered. "Ugh… If I had to choose between a reptile and a bug for a pet, I'd choose a reptile. I can't stand the thought of a bug getting out and start crawling everywhere."

Minako shivered at the thought. "Please don't say crawling…" She said as she rubbed her arms, as if it was cold even though the weather was warm enough.

"Man you guys are sensitive on the bug thing…" Junpei said as the three girls looked at him, Koromaru sitting patiently and watching them.

"Have you ever had a bug crawl all over you?" Yukari asked.

"Yeah, plenty times. It's hard not too when you play with your buddies outside." He chuckled. "I even fell onto an anthill one time." He then sighed. "That wasn't fun…"

"See…"

"I wasn't grossed out, just pissed off because the bastard pushed me face first."

"Okay, okay." Minako said as she sensed slight tension in the air. "Let's not get into this. It's getting late, and I think Koromaru would like to continue his walk, right?" She looked down at the patient dog, who barked and his tail wagged.

"Minako-chan is right." Fuuka said. "I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are."

"Okay…" Said the other two as they said good-bye to Koromaru and headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived, Minato was about to enter the dorm and all of them went inside, getting a text saying that both Akihiko and Mitsuru won't be able to come back to the dorm until late, so no Tartarus. So for the rest of their evening, Minato and Minako made dinner and all of them studied until they called it a night.


	71. Episode 70: Sweet Talk and Running

Ep. 70: Sweet Talk and Running

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/22-

The next morning, the twins headed to school when Yukari caught up to them.

"Hey guys…"

"Hey Yukari, what's going on?" Minako greeted as her brother took his head phones off.

"I was thinking…" Yukari said as she looked concerned. "The night before last… The twelve Shadows… Tartarus… Isn't there just too much we don't understand?"

The twins nodded as Minato spoke. "Definitely."

"It's starting to get to me…"

"Obviously." He said as he earned a look from his sister before she looked at the other girl.

"I'm sure everyone else is feeling the same thing, but what can we do?"

"You think so?" Yukari said, unsure.

"Don't you?" Minako asked, a bit unsure why the other girl was acting this way when the bell rung and they hurried to class.

xxxxx

Soon, lunchtime rolled around and Minako volunteered to get the drinks for their lunches when she heard her name called out and looked to see Akihiko. "Oh, Senpai. How are you?"

"I'm doing good." He said. "Hey, are you free after school? Um… There's somewhere I wanted to go with you."

This was a bit of a surprise to her, not noticing the other girls seemed to lose their souls. "Where?" She asked as he smiled.

"You'll find out when we get there." He said as he patted her shoulder. "I'll see ya later." And with that he left.

Minako blinked as she wondered what the other wanted as she got the drinks.

xxxxx

After school rolled in and Akihiko was getting ready to leave when a classmate went up to him. "Yo, Aki."

"Yeah?"

"Is it true you're going out with Junpei's girl?"

Akihiko sighed. "First off, she isn't Junpei's girl, and second, we're just friends."

"I heard different." Said the student. "Damn man, who would've thought you would be the kind of guy that goes after guy's girlfriends."

"Minako-chan isn't his girlfriend!" He said. "And I'm tired of you guys suggesting that!"

"Well it's not much a surprise." Said another guy. "You always have the girls surrounding you like flies to honey. Would you quit showing off already?"

"I didn't ask for that! I don't even like that kind of attention!"

"Yeah right!" Said another guy. "What guy doesn't want a crowd of cute girls around him?"

"Yeah, we really envy you for that. Or maybe she's the kind of gal that can have more than one boyfriend!" Said another guy who was up against the wall, laughing, when a punch missed and he was faced with enraged, dark grey stormy eyes, causing a hush in the room.

"Quit spouting shit! She's not Junpei's girl, and we're just friends. And if I hear you say anything like that about her, I won't hold back in kicking your ass." He said as he left the room, flexing his hand to dull the throbbing pain from punching the wall. He was glad he didn't leave a dent in the wall.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Minako told Junpei that she was going to meet Akihiko, in which Junpei congratulated her and was jumping the gun a bit when she told him about the rumor of them going out.

"Huh? A rumor that you're my girlfriend?"

"Yeah, you didn't hear it?"

Junpei shook his head. "No, I heard it, but only from the guys I hang with. I didn't know it was spread out." He said as he shook his head. "Man, I better clear this up soon. But congrats on having Senpai ask you out."

"It's just a friendly outing, he's not interested in a girlfriend." She said.

"Maybe not now…" Junpei suggested as he left. "See ya!"

"Junpei!" She called out as she sighed. "Geez…" She said as she went the way she would take to avoid the fangirls and found Akihiko at the school's many water faucets for cleaning their hands. "Hello Senpai." She looked to see that he was drying his one hand before putting the black leather glove on.

"Hey Minako-chan, perfect timing." He said with a smile. "Ready to go?"

She nodded. "Yes." She said as she looked at the hand. "Did something happen to your hand?"

"Oh, no, I just hit on something accidently and just dulled the pain with some water." He said with a chuckle as he led the way out of the school. "How was your day?"

"It was good." She said as she explained her day to him, not noticing where they were going.

xxxxx

Soon, at Iwatodai strip mall, Akihiko mentioned her to follow him up the stairs to the second level and led them to the Sweet Shop, which surprised Minako.

"Senpai?" She voiced as she looked at Akihiko, who looked a bit unsure.

"I heard that this place is popular." He said as he remembered asking one of the guys in his club about where was a good place to take a girl. But now looking at it he wasn't so sure. "A-Are guys allowed to go in there?" He couldn't get over the very girly looking decorations that adorned in the shop's windows.

"It's completely okay, Senpai." She said, seeing his discomfort.

"I-I see." He said as he cleared his throat unnecessarily but helped him get a bit more confident. "Then… let's go." He opened the door for her as she led the way in.

She got a small cake and shared it with Akihiko, talking about random things, mostly funny things from her to help the other be at ease and noticed that he didn't eat much of the cake, which was fine because her lunch was practically dissected by Fuuka who came by and asked how she made this and that, resulting in said lunch box to topple over and Fuuka became an apologic mess. Needless to say she didn't really get a chance to enjoy lunch.

When they were done and headed out of the sweet shop, Akihiko sighed.

"That was rather sweet…" He said.

She looked at him, a bit concerned. "Did you not like it?" She asked, wondering if he didn't like sweets but doing this for her, which is just not acceptable to her book.

"Oh… I mean, I don't hate having sweets…" He said quickly, seeing the concerned look on her face as he blushed. "But I don't really have them that often, so I was surprised at how sugary it was." He looked embarrassed. "And… it seemed like you like eating sweet things, so…" This surprised her as he sighed. "Still, it was like having a lump of pure sugar in my mouth… Yukari sometimes gives me sweet snacks once in a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah, usually around the times when you're not around." He said, chuckling a bit. "She'll say that she'd be screwed if she eats any more, then shove them at me…" He sighed as he patted her shoulder. "But that's not important right now." He looked at her. "Um… Are you still hungry? Want to get some real food? It doesn't have to be something sweet…"

She nodded. "Sure, that cake was about as sweet as I can take for the day." She said.

"Oh, Akihiko-senpai!" Called out a girl's voice as both turned to see the two girls from the other day.

'Oh boy…' She thought as the girls crowded his personal space once more.

"Omigosh, I'm like, so jazzed to run into you here again." Said the heavily made up girl.

"Say," Said the girl with buns "why're you here with Junpei's girlfriend?" She then looked at Minako. "Like, stop stealing all the single guys when you've already got one for yourself!" She and the other girl glared at her.

Minako just about had enough with this, but she calmly told them that she wasn't Junpei's girlfriend.

"Huh? Who asked you?" Said the second girl with a mean expression.

Akihiko seemed to have enough of this as well as he grabbed Minako's hand and lifted it up for the girls to see, causing all the girls to be surprised. "As you can see, I'm here with Minako right now." He said, making sure he was loud and clear to the two girls. "We'll have to talk some other time." He then started to walk. "Let's go, Minako."

Minako could only nod as she kept up with his long stride, since her hand was grabbed tightly in his grasp, making her heart race as they headed back to the dorm in silence.

xxxxx

By the time they reached the dorm, he seemed to have calmed down and noticed his grip on her hand and let go.

"Oh, sorry." He said. "Did I hurt your hand?" He inspected the hand as she shook her head.

"No, it's fine."

He nodded as he sighed. "Sorry about what happened back there."

"It's not your fault, Senpai." She said, mentally telling her heart to calm down as he smiled at her.

"I'm glad to hear you say that." He said as he glared at the bushes in front of the dorm. "All this about me showing off and taking someone else's girlfriend…" He remembered what the guys were saying earlier and a few days before that as well. "There are people in my class saying things about me, too…" He said, sounding a bit relieved that he was able to let someone know.

"Senpai…" She said. "I'm so sorry…"

He looked at her with a smile. "There's no need for apologizes, you didn't do anything wrong. It's that damn rumor." He said as he chuckled a bit. "I had fun today. It's nice to have sweet things once in a while." He then looked as if he remembered something. "Say, aren't you in the cooking club?"

"Yes, but it's just starting out…"

"Maybe you could make me something sweet sometime." He said as she looked at him with a question on her face. "Like… Pancakes sound good."

"Pancakes?" She said as she tilted her head to the side, resembling a curious puppy, making the senior chuckle.

"I like them." He said with a smile before laughing a little. "Does that seem like the kind of food I wouldn't like?"

She smiled as she shook her head as she felt that her bond to him gotten a little stronger. "I would never have guess, Senpai." Making him chuckle.

"Yeah, I guess you wouldn't if I didn't say anything."

"Hey!" She said as he placed his hand on her head.

"Now, let's go home." He said as they both smiled and headed to the dorm's door. "How are you doing in your studies?" He said as he opened the door for her to go through.

"Okay, but… um…" She said as she looked up at him a bit unsure. "How are you in understanding physics?"

He chuckled as he patted her shoulder. "I'll help you out with that." He then closed the door behind him.

"Thanks Senpai."

"It's okay for you to call me Akihiko."

"Huh? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, we are team mates, right?"

She nodded. "Right! Akihiko-senpai." This made both of them laugh as they reached to the dining table area and got down to work on their homework.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, with Minato, he found Yuko heading out and he wanted to spend some time with her and they left to head to the mall.

"Hey, wait up." Yuko called out as Minato turned to see her come up. "I'm not as tall as you, so I can't walk as fast."

"Oh, sorry." He said as he waited for her, making her laugh.

"I was just joking; I don't mind. Do you think I'm acting weird?" She said, but she seemed to be having fun. "I'm used to dealing with big dumb jocks from working on the team."

"Hey…" He said as he smiled good humorously when a few kids started to run, one of them bumping into Yuko.

"Ow! Heeey!" She called out as the boy that bumped into her stopped running to look at her.

"Do you know him?" He asked, noticing the look of recognition in both their faces.

"Yup. He lives across the street from me." Yuko said as she looked at the boy. "And someone needs to apologize!"

"It's your fault!" Said the boy in the yellow shirt. "You weren't paying attention! Nishiwaki-san!"

"How many times do I have to tell you!? Call me 'Big Sis'." Yuko said with a sigh. "I give up!" She looked at the boy like a mother would. "This is no place to be playing tag. It was okay this time, since it was me… but what if you had bumped into a stranger? Go play at the playground."

The boy looked sad. "We can't play there… There are sixth graders playing soccer… They said they'll move if we beat them in a race, but… we're only fourth graders! We can't win… So, we had to play tag here instead, Nishiwaki-san."

"I'll let the 'san' slide this time, but only because I feel sorry for you…" Yuko said as he mentioned the boy to follow. "Alright, come with me." With that she led the kids out of the mall.

"Where are we going?" Minato asked.

"The only place that they can run without bumping into anyone." Yuko said as they walked all the way back to the school and to the track field.

xxxxx

Once they were there, she looked at the small group of kids. "You guys aren't suppose to be here, but today we'll make an exception…" She said as the children were impressed by the size of the practice field.

"This field is sooo big!" Said the girl in a blue skirt.

"If you see any strangers, run away." Yuko said. "And boys, make sure you protect the girls. Promise?"

"We promise!" Said a boy in a blue shirt.

Yuko nodded. "Practice until the big hand is on the twelve," She pointed to the school's clock tower "and don't touch anything around here." She looked around the area. "I'm gonna have a look around…"

"Let's run!" Called out the boy in yellow as he and his friends started to run around the track.

"Wait, come here for a second…" Yuko said as she stopped the boy and held his arm. "Pump your arms more… And don't life your legs so high, or you might pull a muscle."

Minato watched as Yuko was playing coach to the kids and couldn't help but find that a bit endearing. And when the kids did what she instructed, they did seem a lot faster than they did before.

"Give it a try!" Yuko said cheerfully. "Believe in yourself!"

"Wooohoo!" The boy in yellow said as he ran. "Check this out!"

The girl in the blue skirt came up to Yuko and grabbed her hand. "Me too! Me too! Come help ME, Coach!"

"I'm gonna win for sure!" Called out the boy in blue.

Yuko smiled as the kids were discussing excitedly amongst themselves as she looked at Minato. "It's worth it just to see the smiles on their faces…" She then looked a bit unsure. "But… I've never been a coach before… Am I doing the right thing, Minato-kun?"

"It's up to you." Minato said with a bit of a smile, which the other returned, the sparkle in her eyes seemed to ignite.

"What am I waiting for?" She said as she seemed excited as she looked at the kids. "I'll do it! I'll be your coach!" She then winked at them. "But, I'm not gonna go easy on you guys! And no one's allowed to quit, either! Got it?"

"Got it, Coach!" Called out the kids, as the girl in the checkered skirt pointed to Minato.

"Is that your boyfriend, Coach? Is he gonna teach us too?"

This took the two off guard as Yuko responded. "What? Uhh… Don't worry about that." She said as she went to coach mode. "Think positive! If you think you're gonna lose, you will! Don't be afraid of them just because they're sixth graders!

"Whatever you say!" Said the kids as they were getting their first lesson from Yuko as Minato continued to watch. Soon the time came and the kids headed out of the school track together as the two teens stayed to talk.

"How do you feel?" He asked as he could see that she enjoyed being the coach.

Yuko blushed as she looked where the kids left. "Once they called me 'Coach,' I couldn't resist…" She then looked at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to keep you so long…" She then looked shy. "But, is there any chance you'd be willing to help me train them? I only know a little bit about racing… and besides, you're pretty athletic…"

"Come on now…" He said, a bit embrassed but also amused.

"I'd be really grateful." She said with a blush on her cheeks as she seemed to wait for him to answer. "Well? Will you help me? Pleeease! I'll be lonely coaching them all by myself."

He could sense her trust in him as he felt his bond with her get a little stronger as he nodded. "Sure. Looks like a lot of fun." He said as she seemed grateful.

"I'm sorry about last time too!" She said as she seemed to remember something. "I keep dragging you into these things. But, I'll make up for it one of these days."

With that they left the school together before parting ways to head back home.

xxxxx

Once he entered the dorm, he found his sister talking to Akihiko, Junpei, and Mitsuru, and it looked like a serious conversation.

"S'up dude!" Junpei said as he noticed him come in.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Just telling Mitsuru-senpai about the rumor issue."

"What rumor issue?"

"Dude, you didn't hear? It's regarding Ko-tan."

"What!?" He said as he looked at his sister. "Are you okay?"

"I'm healthy as a bull, Toto-nii."

"That's not what I mean…"

"Don't worry, Minato-kun," Mitsuru said. "Iori has asked permission to use the announcement room to make an announcement to tell the truth, putting the rumor to rest."

"What is the rumor anyway?" Minato said. "Answer me that."

"There's two parts." Minako said as she gave both guys the look. "Toto-nii needs to know too." She then looked at him. "First part of the rumor is that Junpei and I are dating."

"Which is a complete negatory captain." Junpei said as Minato nodded slowly.

"And the second part is that Akihiko-senpai has been called a girlfriend stealer because we started to hang out a bit more."

"I see…" Minato said. "And why haven't I heard about this until now?"

"Just learned this today." Junpei said. "But these two kinda knew before I did."

"Thanks Iori…" Akihiko said as Minako shrugged.

Minato sighed as he scratched his head. "Okay…" He said as he headed up stairs.

Minako got up as she excused herself and followed her brother up the stairs.

"He doesn't take things like this lightly, does he?" Junpei said as Akihiko sighed.

"You don't have a sister. It's a touchy thing for a brother to learn that his sister is in danger and can't do anything about it." He said as he seemed to be in deep thought before he left the room and up the stairs.

"Uh… something I'm not getting at?" Junpei said as Mitsuru sighed.

"It's not my place to say, Iori…" Mitsuru said as she looked at the confused junior. "It's a personal matter of his own past. That's all I can say."

"His past? Did he have a sister too?" Junpei said when he seemed surprised. "Did… something happen to her?" With that Mitsuru left the lounge area to head upstairs, leaving him with questions. "Man… if that's true… then he might only be seeing Ko-tan as a sister instead…" He sighed. "Man… this sucks… So much for being her cupid, I didn't even know Senpai's past to consider something like this to happen." He leaned back on the couch. "Then again, it could work out, it just going to be a slow process though." He smiled a bit. "Oh well, that's fine, Ko-tan is the kind of gal that goes at a certain pace. Hell, she's already doing romantic things without her noticing. But boy, Akihiko seems pretty dense about it." He sighed. "Who would've thought Senpai has such a pure soul." He then seemed to reconsider. "I take that back…"

xxxxx

With the twins, however, Minako caught up to her brother and mentioned that there was something wrong with the machine up in the command room and both went up to check it out.

"Remind me again why we're looking at this?" Minato said as he looked around the machine.

"I don't know… I wonder if there's anyone who knows about these kinds of things better than we do?"

"If you find them, send them here." He said as he saw the button for a new recording blinking. "What's this?" He pressed it before his sister could get a word in, showing a recording that was a little over a week ago. "Huh? Junpei's room?" He said as they both watched what was going on when they saw Mitsuru and Officer Kurosawa. "The hell?"

"Oh! That's what he meant?"

"What am I missing this time?" He said when the Mitsuru spoke.

"_This way Officer."_ Mitsuru said as she and the policeman entered Junpei's messy room. _"By the time I realized the door was halfway open, his room was already in this state. I left the place untouched, as you requested."_

The Officer looked around the room as he looked at the senior. _"Whose room is this?"_ He asked in a tone the twins knew was the equivilant to the 'wtf-am-I-doing-here' in a professional and less insult sounding way.

"_Iori Junpei. A junior."_ She said. _"I've been attempting to reach him on his cell phone, but he hasn't responded in the last thirty minutes."_

"Really?" Minato said as he watched this.

"She's an only child, Toto-nii. She doesn't have a messy brother."

"I'm not messy."

"You don't have much stuff." She said as the recording continued.

"_It was careless of me to let my guard down… This dorm has been attacked in the past…"_ Mitsuru continued. _"Security is everyone's concern, but if anything happens to him, it's ultimately my responsibility…" _

The Officer sighed as he adjusted his hat. _"I hate to say it, Kirijo-san, but this is most likely-"_ He started to say when an outside voice called out.

"_Huh? Mitsuru-senpai?"_ It was Junpei as he entered the room. "_Wh-What the hell! Kurosawa-san? What's going on here!?"_

"_Iori!?"_ Mitsuru said, sounding surprised and a bit relieved. _"Where were you? I've been trying to contact you!"_

"_Huh? Oh, uh… it was hot, and the AC was busted, so I went to the manga café and fell asleep…"_ Jupei explained, looking a bit uncomfortable.

Mitsuru sighed. _"Well… I'm just glad you're safe."_ She then looked a bit lost. _"But if it wasn't an attack, then it must have been theft… Why would the burglar target this room?"_

"_Theft!?" _Junpei said, looking shocked.

"_What else could it be? Someone clearly tore through the room looking for something. Vandalizing a school dorm… When I find out who did this, I'll see to it that he or she is executed."_

There was a moment of pause as the Officer looked at the confused junior. _"Well, son, sounds like you've got a death sentence."_

Minato couldn't help but chuckle at this as Minako facepalmed.

"_How about it, Iori? Was this room, in fact, vandalized?" _The Officer continued calmly.

"_Uh…"_ Junpei started as he chuckled nervously. _"Well… My room always looks like this…"_ He admitted, making Mitsuru be taken aback in shock.

"_Wh-What!? B-But… You can't possibly live here in this state, can you!? A-And… the door was open." _She was obviously lost and confused by this.

"_Oh, right… I wanted to air the place out while I was gone. No one we don't know ever comes around, so…"_

Mitsuru was dumbstruck to say the least as Officer Kurosawa sighed.

"_I think this case is closed."_ He said as he looked at Mitsuru. _"May I return to my duties, Kirijo-san?"_

"_Oh… yes…"_ Mitsuru said, getting her composure back. _"I'm… sorry you had to see something so disgraceful…" _This made Junpei shocked as Officer Kurosawa left the room and she looked at him. _"I apologize for all this… It seems my upbringing may have been more sheltered than I realized…"_ And with that she left the room.

Junpei stood there, unsure what to do. _"C'mon, at least yell at me or something!?"_ He said. _"What's the deal with you calling the police over a messy room, anyway!? What did I do to deserve this!? Hey, wait…" _He groaned. _"That fortune I drew on the way back… It was 'Worst Luck'…"_

And the recording ended with that.

"That was…" Minato started to say as he smiled "so precious."

Minako smiled as she giggled. "Poor Mitsuru-senpai… I'm sure she must've felt so embarrassed."

"No doubt, but her heart was in the right place." He said as he yawned. "I'm tired."

"Me too, let's get some sleep. Okay?"

"Sure. Oh, about that rumor thing, is it really bad?"

She shook her head. "Nope. I think it's caused by Akihiko-senpai's fangirls. Don't know why though."

"And it sounds the guys in Senpai's class is giving him a hard time out of jealousy and a chance to poke fun at him."

"Yeah, I hope Junpei's announcement will clear everything up."

"I'm more worried of what he's going to say about it."

"Have a little faith in Junpei. He is our best friend after all."

Minato chuckled as he nodded. "Hai… I do trust him." He said as they headed to their rooms.

xxxxx

Behind the Tatsumi Port Island station, Dark Hour triggered and there was one coffin there, which disappeared and a teenage punk stood there, looking confused. "Huh? How the heck did I—"

"Good evening…" Said a cold voice as the teen looked to where the voice came from, which he saw a tall, pale young man who was topless, showing the various tattoos there were on his arms, wearing tight jeans, had his pale hair reach his shoulders, and hawk-like yellow eyes. "Are you surprised? Truth be told, we all visit this world every night."

"Wh-What are you saying?" Said the teen, freaking out. "Who the hell are you?" He looked to see a girl in a white Lolita dress and a head band that made it look like a sharp cross went through her head, while her bright red hair fell in straight strands down to her knees, and a smart-looking boy with blue hair combed to the side, wearing rectangular glasses, and wearing a green jacket of some form with normal jeans.

"Didn't Mommy teach you any manners?" Said the smart-looking boy. "You haven't introduced yourself… Take a look." He held up a folder with some papers in them. "Name, address, age, etc… This is you, right?" He threw it in front of the teen, which a picture of him fell out among the other papers, freaking the teen even more.

"Wha-!? Where did you get this!?"

"Somebody's got a grudge against you," The smart looking boy said with hardly any care behind his tone "and they asked us to get revenge."

"Revenge!? What kinda bullshit is this!?" The teen said. "Who put you up to this!?"

"Can't tell ya. We're professionals."

"'Professionals'?" The teen said as he then looked scared, like a cornered animal. "Oh shit… You mean, the rumors on the net are true!?"

The pale young man then took out a gun and aimed it at the teen. "May we get this over with now?"

"Hey… W-Wait… I haven't done anything!" The teen said, as he was frightened. "Why me!? What'd I do!?"

"That is not our concern." The pale young man said coolly and uncaringly. "Your notion of right and wrong is irrelevant. My client's wishes are all that matter. People hear what they choose to hear, and believe what they want to believe." He then started to move closer to the teen.

"N-No… Stay away… Get away from me!" He said as he started to run away from the man, who grin sadistically.

"You squeal most magnificently! Such raw emotion!" With that he fired the gun, making the running teen fall to the ground and stayed there.

"He's not dead…" Said the girl in a monotone voice.

"Doesn't matter…" Said the smart looking boy. "We've held up our end of the bargain. Besides,tomorrow this will just seem like some random crime."

"If there's nothing else…" Said the pale young man. "I'm feeling rather tired." With that they left the scene of their crime.


	72. Episode 71: Clearing the Rumor

Ep. 71: Clearing the Rumor

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/23-

The next morning, the twins headed to the school when they overheard a conversation about a website for people to get revenge on other people, and this caused some worry for Minato, thinking back on the rumor thing he heard about yesterday.

"You're worrying again." Minako said as she recognized his nervous expression, despite it looking calm and collected.

"I can't help it…"

"It's only a rumor." She said as she pointed to the school. "Now come on! We still got classes to get through!" She then ran ahead of him.

"Oi! Sissy!" He said as he chased after her to their classroom.

xxxxx

Sometime during their classic literature class, Mitsuru came in and asked for Junpei, who smiled as he got up, giving the twins a knowing look and followed her out of the classroom, which the teacher didn't try to protest as the senior girl's icy glare was a reminder that he was still in the red as far as she was concerned.

And a few minutes later, the speakers were turned on and Junpei's voice was heard.

"_Attention! Is this thing on?"_

"The hell? Why's Junpei on the announcement?" Asked one student.

'Oh god…' Minato thought as Junpei continued.

"_Okay! Hey everyone! I'm Iori Junpei of class 2-F! I've heard that there's a rumor going around that me and Arisato Minako are going out. Well I'm here to tell you that it's not true and to quit spreading such a false tale. We're just best buds, that's all! And for those in Akihiko-senpai's class or those who know him, quit the whole 'girlfriend stealer' thing, will ya? It's not his fault the girls couldn't take the hint that he doesn't want to be choked up from their attention every day."_

"He's asking for death wish on that one." Minato said as he sighed.

"_And Minako isn't going after any guy's hearts, she's practically an angel. I should know, we live in the same dorm with everyone else!"_

"He's going to die." Minato said as Minako face-palmed her reddened face.

"_And another thing! Akihiko –senpai and Minako-chan are-!"_ He was going to continue when there was a scuffle, which Akihiko's voice was heard within the scuffle.

"_Iori! What the hell!?"_

"_I'm telling everyone to quit the rumors!"_

"_But why like this!?"_

"_Enough!" _Mitsuru's voice was heard. _"Return to your classrooms this instant!"_ Sounds of running feet were heard before the sound of her clearing her throat was heard. _"Thank you for your undivided attention and remember to not spread rumors unless you have a reliable source and solid facts. That is all."_ And that was the end of the announcement as Junpei entered the classroom, looking proud as he went back to his seat.

The teacher was clearly not pleased by this at all, but he grumbled out his frustration as he continued to teach the class until his time was up.

Minako turned and mouthed her thanks to Junpei, who simply smiled and resumed to debate whether or not to sleep.

xxxxx

When the classes were over with for the day, the twins spotted Bebe and headed over to the Home Econonmics room to do the fashion club.

"Minako-sama, Minato-sama," Bebe said enthusiastically "it eez zat time again! I will tell you what we're making today." He took out a knit bunny doll. "What do you zink about zis? Kawaii, cute like you, no?" He looked at Minako, who giggled.

"You better not be hitting on my sister now." Minato said with a smile, but the teasing tone hid a warning as Bebe laughed.

"No, no! But don't you zink zis looks like Minako-sama?"

Minato can see the foreign student truly meant what he said without any hidden motives as he nodded. "Yeah."

"Well zen!" Bebe said as he brought out the how-to-guide to making said knit dolls, in which all of them try their hand on, which Minato was having difficulty while Minako was doing a great job with it.

"Bring ze yarn 'ere… like zis!" Bebe helped the two, mostly Minato, as he nodded in approval. "Oui oui, very good! Ze needle hurts, so be careful." After saying that, Minato struck his finger on the needle, but said that he was fine and continued to make the knit doll. "You do not weave ze yarn, you weave le amour!" This made the twins smile as they continued working until they were done.

"Zat is tottemo tottemo cute!" Bebe said as he looked at Minako's knit pink rabbit holding a knit strawberry while Minato made something that looked like a mocha with tiny ears, big knitted blue eyes, and a kitty smile. "It's almost as cute as you." He looked at Minako, who giggled while Minato dully stared at the French student. "Let's take a break, now." He looked at Minato and smiled. "Minato-sama, you 'ave gotten much better at zis! Subarashii! Wonderful!"

"Not really." He said as he looked at his white knitted blob with a face and tiny ears.

"Oooh, you are very modest!" Bebe said with smile.

"I think it's cute." Minako said as she looked at her brother's creation.

"Thanks." He said as Bebe hummed. "What's up?"

"I would like to make somezing Japanese, but what?"

"Something traditional?" Minato suggested, which Minako spoke up.

"Like a kimono."

"A kimono!" Bebe said excitedly. "It 'as to be a kimono!" He then hummed as he looked troubled. "But… zat is very 'ard to make. I don't know 'ow. Plus, it eez expensive…" He then nodded. "I will zink about it. Arigatou! Zank you for ze advice! Minato-sama, Minako-sama, you two are ze only ones I can talk to 'ere…" He seemed very grateful. "You are so nice!"

The twins felt touched by this as they felt their fragile bond with the other grew a little stronger when Bebe looked up at the class clock.

"Oh, look at ze time! I must go 'ome now!"

"You go on ahead." Minato said. "We'll clean up."

"Arigatou! Minato-sama, Minako-sama… Mata ne!" He said as he left the classroom.

The twins smiled as they cleaned up the classroom before going back to the dorm.

"Who are you going to give that to?" Minato asked, knowing he was going to keep his.

"I thought of Yukari when I made this." Minako said as she held up the pink bunny. "I really hope she likes it."

"I'd be surprised if she didn't get excited over it." He said as they headed to the station to catch the train back to Iwatodai.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, in the ramen shop the server went up to a young man, ready to get his order. "Hi, how are you today? Just one?" He asked as the young man walked up to another young man who was eating ramen and sat down next to him.

"I'll have what he's having." Akihiko said as he pointed to Shinjiro, who glared dully out of annoyance of the other.

"Coming right up!" Said the server as he went to the kitchen to get the order started from the cooks. "One house special!"

Akihiko turned to look at the other who swallowed what was in his mouth. "How can you eat the same thing all the time, without getting sick of it?"

"Shut up." Shinjiro said. "You always eat that protein shit."

Akihiko seemed annoyed by that when the server brought out his order.

"Here you go, on house special! Be careful, it's hot!" Said the server as he left the two be to take the order of another customer.

Akihiko took at least a bite of it, only to feel the heat and quickly sallow it down. "Yow, he wasn't kidding." He said, partly being honest and partly to get the atmosphere to lighten up. He looked at the other who was almost done with his own bowl. "You still haven't made up your mind?"

"Is that what this is about?" Shinjiro said, not looking at the other.

"We've got five new members. Things have changed quite a bit since you left. We're more aggressive now."

"I'm not interested."

"Think about it, Shinji. Don't let your power go to waste."

"My power ain't worth shit."

"Shinji!" He said, causing some of the nearby onlookers to look, as Shinjiro looked at him with a glare.

"I made up my mind a long time ago. I ain't goin' back."

"You have to let the past go." Akihiko said, calming down a bit before they made a scene. "What's done is done. It's time you moved on."

The other made a sound at the back of his throat. "You should talk."

"What?" He said as grey storm eyes looked at steel grey eyes.

"You're no different than me." He said as he left his money next to his bowl and got up to leave.

"Ah… Hey! Shinji!" Akihiko said as he just watched the other leave the shop. "Damnit Shinji…"

xxxxx

At the dorm, the twins entered and were greeted by Mitsuru.

"We have two weeks until the moon is full again. Try to increase your strength as much as possible before then."

"Right." Said the twins as Junpei had a thoughtful expression.

"Two weeks, huh. I wonder what it'll look like this time..." Junpei said as he smiled. "I have to admit, the suspense is killing me…"

Mitsuru sighed. "You're starting to sound like Akihiko. Just remember, this is not a joke. That reminds me…" She looked at her watch. "Why is he not back yet?"

"He's prolly eating or somethin'." Junpei said.

Mitsuru nodded, but still didn't seem pleased. "If he's going to be late, he should at least have the courtesy to call me."

"He must have a reason." Minato said as Minako headed to the dining area where Yukari was working on some homework, only to squeal at the sight of the knit rabbit.

"It's so cute!" Yukari said as she held the knit rabbit doll. "You actually made this?"

"Yep! Made it in fashion club today."

"This is so cute! I love her!" Yukari said as she held the doll to her. "Thank you so much, Minako!"

"I'm glad you love her." She said as the guys who were watching this shook their heads.

"Boy, when it comes to cute things, they just can't hide it." Junpei said with a smile. "But I guess that's not a bad thing." He then looked at Minato. "What'd you make?" With that the other held up the white knitted blob. "The hell is that suppose to be?"

"Not a damn clue." Minato said as he and the other laughed.

"Toto-nii!" Minako called as she came out of the kitchen. "We have to go to the pharmacy! We're out of that aloe cream!"

"Oh, okay." Minato said as he threw his knitted mocha at Junpei. "You can keep it."

"Hey!"

"See you in a bit!" Minako said as she headed out with her brother.

Junpei looked at the blob and sighed. "I'll just take this up to their room." He said as he had a thought. 'Wait… they share a room. And I've never been to their room… I hope I don't see anything that I'm not suppose to see.'

xxxxx

At the mall, the twins arrived there, only to see Tanaka again as he mentioned them over.

"Evening you two." He said. "Before I enlighten you today…" He smiled as he held his arms out a bit "do you notice anything different about me?" The twins looked at the man before him, wondering what on earth could make him different but both couldn't see it and they responded that they kind of did, even though they didn't. "Oh! Then, you can tell!?" He seemed happy to hear that as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I had my hair revitalized… Doesn't it look healthier now? And I had an appointment at the spa for a facial peel…" He patted his cheek. "Isn't my skin simply radiant now?"

The twins didn't know what to reply to this as they simply give him a thumbs up, making the man laugh.

He sighed. "I'm afraid it's all part of the job; I have my fans to think of… At home, I'm completely the opposite. I dress like a slob and only shower once every three days."

'Why is he telling us this?' The twins thought, not sure what to do to respond to this side of the man.

"Let me give you an analogy…" He continued as he seemed to think for a good one. "Vegetables! Perfect! Imagine an organically grown cucumber that looks deformed… Compare that to a cucumber that looks perfect, but was grown using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Which one do you think the supermarket would stock?"

"I would think the organic ones." Minako said.

"Wouldn't that be delightful?" Tanaka said, a bit of amusement in his tone. "In an ideal world, they'd offer safe and delicious vegetables regardless of their appearance… But in reality, supermarkets line the shelves with the prettiest cucumbers." The twin nodded in agreement, knowing that's mostly true. "So, why do consumers still buy these cucumbers when they know the truth? Simple. People trust what they see. Appearance matters most. That's why, as much as I hate spending money, I buy expensive ties to win people's trust…" He then looked shocked. "Wait! You remember what I just said…? About me dressing like a slob and not showering everyday…" A nod was his reply from the two. "Don't tell ANYONE! I can't afford to have people start believing I'm ordinary!" He then calmed down and looked off to the side. "I only said it to you two because it was just you two. You guys are the only ones who knows…"

The twins felt their bond getting stronger as they learned yet another thing about him. 'He's just another guy working for a living.' They thought as the man pointed at them.

"Just a reminder: don't tell anyone. If you break your promise…" He then smiled. "Well, I guess I can trust you." He then waved them off. "Run along, now…"

"Good night, Tanaka-san." Both said, smiling and not feeling a bit out of sort like they usually did after talking to him as they headed to the pharmacy, picked up what they came there for and headed back to the dorm to rest for the next day.


	73. Episode72:Dispute in the Student Council

Ep. 72: Dispute in the Student Council

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/24-

The twins headed to the school gates when Junpei caught up with them.

"Yo!" He called out.

"Hey Junpei." The twins said as they walked together.

"Hey, is it just me, or has Yuka-tan been acting weird lately?"

"Huh? Really?" Minako said.

"Dude, where have you been? We live in the same building! She's been thinking way too hard about Tartarus n' stuff. I mean, who cares!? Right?"

"I can agree that she's thinking a bit much on the subject." Minato said. "Since we don't have all the answers."

"Exactly! So why worry about it if we don't have all the pieces together! We can figure things out along the way as we kick ass!" He said with a laugh, but the twins were now starting to question and whether or not Yukari is in the right to question.

xxxxx

The school day went on as normal until classes ended for the day and the twins headed to the Student Council room to join everyone in the meeting, and because Mitsuru sent a text message saying that she wouldn't be able to attend and would like them to report what has happened during her absence there. But when they got there, there was arguing going on.

"How many times do I have to explain? It's like I'm talking to a moron…" Hidetoshi said, sounding annoyed.

"Why are you accusing ME!?" Said the female vice president. "The cigarette butt was in the BOYS' bathroom, right?"

"Can you prove that it wasn't a girl who left it there?" Hidetoshi said.

"There's just no reasoning with you!" Said another member, and with that everyone left.

"Good thing Mitsuru isn't here today." Minato said as Minako nodded before they looked to see Hidetoshi.

"What bunch of Neanderthals.." He said as he noticed the twins there. "Minato-kun, Minako-chan, were you two there the whole time?"

"Yeah… that was pretty cruel." Minato said, in a way he meant it in both ways; for the other to accuse people like that and for the members not trying to help stop the crazy spiral they're now in.

"Don't hold it against them…" Hidetoshi said. "They're like children: they just don't understand." He sounded satisfied with that. "Sooner or later, they'll see the light. Then, they'll respect me."

"That sounds like forcing though…" Minako said. "If you keep doing things like that…"

"I'm not isolating myself; I'm just being aloof." Hidetoshi said. "Sooner or later, someone always gets hurt in any relationship." He then sighed. "I guess I'm preaching to the choir, though. I apologize."

"Hey, you have your views of things, it's understandable." Minato said as Minako nodded as they both felt that the other is trying to be a good friend as they felt their bond with the other getting a bit stronger.

"Thank you." He said as he sighed. "There's no reason to have a meeting if no one's here. Let's go." He said and with that they headed out towards the school gates and parted ways to get home.

xxxxx

When they arrived at the dorm, they were greeted by Mitsuru and Minato went up to Mitsuru to talk about what she had missed in the meeting while Minako went up to Akihiko, who was working on his glove on the kitchen bar.

"Evening Akihiko-senpai." She said, liking using the senior's name, but still has to be respectful of the order of things.

"Oh, hey Minako-chan, you just got in?"

"Yes, Toto-nii and I went to Student Council after our last class." She said. "What about you? How's your club going?"

"It's going good. We have a lot of good boxers this year. Even the first years are looking promising." He said as he chuckled.

"That's good!" She said as she noticed that his stitching wasn't what it used to be on his gloves. "Akihiko-senpai, you're going a bit off course here." She pointed it out.

"Oh, thanks." He said. "I guess being in the Fashion Club gives you a different set of eyes to notice something like that."

"I haven't been in there long, but I suppose so." She said as she sensed something was bothering him. "But usually you don't have that problem." She said as he started to take the threads off of the glove. "Is something the matter?"

Akihiko sighed. "You and your brother seem to be able to do anything…" He said as he looked up at her. "You guys don't really dwell on the past, do you?" This seemed to surprise her as he looked away to look at the boxing glove. "I wonder how that feels…"

She didn't know what to say as she tried to think up the right words to say to him. "It's not that we don't think about it." She said as she looked at her brother, who seemed to finish telling Mitsuru about what had happened in the meeting today as he headed to where Yukari was looking over a text book on the dining table. "It's just that we didn't really have anything too remember back on at those times. We grew up doing our best to be invisible." She seemed sad as she remembered the time. "And because of that, we couldn't do the things we wanted to do, because that would mean getting noticed. And our aunt didn't want that… She never wanted the responsibility, but she was obligated to because it was our parents' wishes that someone in the family would care for us." She smiled. "And one of our parents' wishes is that we would be happy. Aunt didn't really get that part, but the way we see it, it means that we simply keep moving forward in our lives and find what makes us smile and treasure it."

Akihiko seemed taken aback on that. "That must be a great thing."

She nodded. "Whenever I felt down or if Toto-nii and I have a fight, I simply think back on our parents and think, 'What would they say or do right now if they're still here'? And the answer is usually right in front of us." She smiled. "That's how I go about it."

"Hey Sissy!" Minato said. "Can you help me out with the literature homework, I can't get it for the life of me."

"Coming!" She said as she looked at Akihiko. "I hope what I said helps a little. Good night, Akihiko-senpai." And with that she followed her brother up the stairs.

"Good night." Akihiko said as he looked back down at his boxing glove. He sighed, gathered his gloves and small sewing kit, and headed up the stairs. 'Can it really be that simple?' He thought as he entered his room.


	74. Episode 73: Truffles and Illustrations

Ep. 73: Truffles and Illustrations

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/25-

The next morning, Minako woke up early as usual, dressed, woke her brother up, then headed down the stairs to the first floor where she went into the kitchen to quickly make up something for breakfast for her and her brother, in which Akihiko stumbled in.

"Oh, morning Akihiko-senpai." She greeted.

"Hey, good morning Minako-chan." He said as he went to the fridge to pick up his protein shake. "You're up earlier than usual for a school day."

"Yeah, my body decided that it was time to get up before my alarm." She said.

"And, about what you said yesterday…" Akihiko continued. "It sounds simple, but… I couldn't really do it."

She can see the troubled look on his face and she knew she didn't know much about the other and isn't going to press the questions on him, especially since she doesn't know what to ask. "I don't know what to say." She said honestly. "Maybe there's something that you're holding onto tightly."

He nodded a bit. "That's true…" He said as he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see it was her hand as she smiled.

"Whatever it is that's troubling you, I hope you find a way to make peace with it. I don't like seeing you looking this troubled."

"Oh, s-sorry…"

"There's nothing to apologize for." She said as she patted his shoulder. "Now go clean up, we have to leave for school soon." She said as her brother came down with Junpei, Yukari, and Fuuka. "See you!" She said as she joined her brother and their fellow juniors.

xxx

Meanwhile, before Minato came down with the others, he was dressed and ready to head on down when he saw Yukari was just coming out of her room and remembered what Junpei said about Yukari acting strange as he went up to her. "Hey, Yukari, got a minute?" He said as that caught her attention.

"Oh, sure." She said as he went up to her. "What's up, Minato?"

"I should ask you that, is everything okay?" He asked.

"Huh? I'm fine." She said with a confused look. "Why, do I look sick?"

"No… Just making sure." He said as Fuuka came out of her room.

"Oh, good morning you two." She said.

"Morning Fuuka." Yukari said with a smile. "Oh, where's Minako?"

"She should be downstairs to get breakfast for herself and me. You guys are on your own."

"Oh thanks." She said with a dull glare, making Fuuka giggle.

"Well, let's meet up with her." Fuuka said as they headed down to the second floor, where Minato knocked on Junpei's door, only to hear said person make a sound and the junior boy came out, grumbling that he hated mornings and they all headed down to see Minako come out of the kitchen and join them on their way to school.

xxxxx

The day went on as normal in the school as it was now afterschool and the twins parted ways to their clubs.

Minako caught up with Fuuka and they headed to the home economics class to start on their cooking club.

"Minako-chan, have you decided what to make today?" Fuuka asked. "If you haven't, then would you like to make this with me?" She showed her the page she mentioned to. "Look at this page… 'chocolate truffles'! Don't they look good?"

"They do." She said, starting to get the sweet craving just looking at the picture.

"I got the ingredients to make them." Fuuka said as they started to work on it.

Minako found it easy to follow the instruction when she overheard Fuuka.

"Um, one teaspoon of liqueur… That doesn't seem like enough." Fuuka said, looking confused. "Dissolve two hundred grams of milk chocolate in hot water… Am I suppose to put hot water in it, or it into the water?"

"Um… Do you need help? Fuuka-chan?" Minako asked, a bit worried about her.

"Oh, no, it's okay. I should be able to do this… Thanks, though." She said as she seemed to be having fun.

"Okay." She said with a smile as she focused on her own batch. When they were done, they looked really good, and she had to taste test one, only to find that it was a success.

"Yes, I'm done!" Fuuka said proudly. "This is much more fun when there's two people here. Thanks, Minako-chan!" She laughed, showing that she was having a lot of fun.

Minako smiled as she liked seeing the other girl looking happy as she felt that her bond with her has gotten a little stronger.

"How does this look?" Fuuka asked as she held it up. "It's a little odd-shaped…" There was an apple-sized dark substance on the plate that she was holding as she handed it to the other girl.

"This is big…" She said, unsure if this was even edible.

"They say that bigger is better, so…" Fuuka said as Minako smelled something sour coming up from what's supposed to be a truffle. "I thought that a teaspoon of liqueur wasn't enough, so I used a cup of it. Look, see?" She held up a bottle labeled 'vinegar', causing the other girl to look shocked.

"Uh… Fuuka… that's vinegar…" She said as the other girl looked at the bottle she was holding.

"Oh, you're right… It says 'rice vinegar'…" Fuuka said as her shoulders slumped. "I didn't notice at all…" She sighed. "I'm hopeless, aren't I… I just want to help everyone, even outside of battle…" She took the plate with the abomination and threw it in the trash. "So I thought that they might like having something some homemade food or sweets when they're tired…" She looked up at Minako. "But I want to try harder so that I can get better at this. Plus, now that you're helping me out, I want to succeed even more… I'll try harder next time!"

Minako nodded. "That's the spirit!" She said as they cleaned up and headed back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minato, he was heading to the club when he spotted Chihiro, who went up to him. "Hey Chihiro-chan." He said as she smiled.

"Hello Minato-kun. Are you busy?" She asked.

"Nope." He said, figuring that he'll skip club just this once and followed her out of the school.

xxxxx

They went to the BookWorms bookstore where they were looking for books.

"Looking for a particular book?"

"Kind of…" She said as she looked at the shelves. "Since our breaks during the day are so short, I just read, since there's not enough time for us to see each other. All of the books on this shelf is only one hundred yen each, so I can afford them with my allowance." She continued to look at the shelves. "Shall we get going?" She looked his way. "I don't see anything that interests me.

"Sure." He said when they started to head out, when Chihiro stopped. "Hm?"

"O-Oh my…" She said as she looked surprised. "This is…!" She reached up and pulled a book out. "I've been dying to read this!" She said excitedly.

"What is it?" He asked.

"This is a collection of illustrations from the shojo manga I read!" She flipped a few pages as she seemed happy. "It even has short stories inside! I would never have expected this to be here…" She then looked concerned. "Maybe the shop owner made a mistake…" She looked where she pulled it out from, only to have another shocked look. "They have all three volumes. This is amazing…" She looked at the price tags on them. "Each volume is 6,000 yen, so that means… 18,000 yen total!?" She slumped. "Wh-What should I do…?"

"Is it good?" He asked as she seemed to brighten at that.

"Of course! All three volumes are great! The characters look so real! Like they really exist!" She said before she sighed. "My monthly allowance is 5,000 yen… And even if I used my lunch money…" She then looked determined. "But, I'll get them no matter what! By next month… wait… by the time I graduate! I-I gotta hide them where no one will see them…" She looked at the book. "Please, don't get bought by someone else…" She then put the book back with the other two volumes as they left the bookstore. "I wish I had a bigger allowance… But, I also don't want to be a burden to my mother…"

"I saw that…" Said a woman that wasn't too far from the other two, glaring at what appears to be her boyfriend, who seemed nervous under her glare. "You were looking at that female employee…"

"S-Sorry! Forgive me! I'll do anything you want! Anything!" The nervous man said, clearly under the woman's mercy.

"I'm going to break up with you if you don't buy me that bag I was talking about before." And with that they walked past them, the guy with his shoulders slumped and head down in shame.

"I thought money couldn't buy happiness…" Chihiro said quietly. "Until recently…"

Minato looked at her, mildly in panic after what he had seen. "What do you mean?"

She looked up at him before realizing that he heard her. "Oh, don't worry. I was just talking to myself." She said with a hint of amusement. "But… I sort of understand how he feels…" She sighed. "That man… He doesn't have any self-confidence, so he tries to compensate with his money… But, I can understand how he must feel, trying to hold onto something no matter what the cost…" She looked up at him as he felt that she was thinking of him when she said that.

He can sense his bond with her getting stronger as she sighed sadly. "What's wrong?"

"It feels like… there are so many things in this world I can't afford…" She looked back up at him. "Shall we go? If I stay here, I know I'll want to go back to the bookstore and look at that illustration collection again…" She then took off, leaving him there.

He sighed as he knew she didn't live far from the strip mall and decided to head back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Where have you been?" Akihiko asked when Minato came in.

"Out with Chihiro-chan…" Minato said as he saw his sister and headed up to her, lightly tugging on her pony tail.

"What's up Toto-nii?" Minako asked as they were eye to eye. She then nodded. "Okay." She said as she got up and headed to the kitchen, making Minato sit down and took his book out, noticing the other three juniors at the same table.

"You okay dude? You look worn out." Junpei asked.

Minako came back out with a glass of water and placed it down in front of him, making him drink it.

"Water?" Yukari asked. "You could've gotten that yourself."

"Oh, it's water with lemon, orange, and lime juices mixed together."

"Huh?"

"He usually drinks it when he's feeling out of sorts." Minako said with a shrug. "Don't ask me why."

He was done with the water and seemed a bit better. "You're the best, Sissy."

"Well, I'm your only sister."

"Biologically, yes, yes you are." He said as he earned a playful punch on his arm. "Do we have any migraine medicine?"

"You're getting a migraine?" She asked. "I'll go check." And she went back into the kitchen to look at the first aid kit, then at the case next to it, took it out, and opened it to see different kinds of medicines, all in a neat order as she looked to see that the medicine for migraines were expired. She went back out with a couple pills for headaches. "Here's some for headaches. The ones for migraines were expired."

"Thanks." He said as he took the pills and drank the water again. "Looks like we have to head out to the pharmacy."

"How about you let someone else do it this time?" Yukari asked.

"Because we're leaders and as leaders we know what to get for when we head out to Tartarus." Minato said.

"Really…?" Yukari said with a raised brow.

"Would you like to join us then?" Minako asked. "We split the price on the items we get and carry what we bought, sometimes we just go over there just to let out some steam, like karaoke and the arcade."

"Uh, thanks for the offer, but I think I'll pass." Yukari said.

"Okay then," Minato said as he got up. "Does anyone need or want anything before we go?" When no one spoke, the twins made their way out of the dorm and into the mall.

xxxxx

When they arrived there, they found Tanaka as they went up to him.

"Evening, Tanaka-san." Minako said as he looked up.

"Oh, hello you two." He said as he sighed.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"It's nothing too important." He said. "I'm used to being accosted by people, but recently I had an interesting encounter. It was with a young man not much older than you two. Guess what he said…"

"Something insulting?" Minato guessed as the man shook his head.

"He said, 'Thank you'."

"Are you sure?" Minato said.

"I was just as surprised as you, so I asked him to repeat himself. But sure enough, that's what he said. I was shocked someone would actually thank me for selling fake products." He then frowned. "But then, he told me he quit his part-time job and was going to study to become a public prosecutor. He want to punish businessmen like me for bending the rules. He said I was an example of a negative role model. As if!" He sighed. "This is me worrying too much," He pointed at himself for good measure as he looked a bit unsure "but what if… Just what if… What if he does become a public prosecutor and puts me behind bars? Lord knows what they would do to me in prison!" He shivered at the thought. "Then I wouldn't be able to give you two advice any more…" He then looked up seeming upset by the thought of it. "Would you two still come visit me if I was in the slammer?"

The twins smiled as they nodded, as they seem to understand him a little better now as their bond with him gotten stronger as the man sighed and got up.

"I want the shareholders know about this. Apparently, kids these days aren't as naïve as we thought…" He said as he looked at the two. "And you two are examples of that." With that he left.

"Is it me, or did he show that he really like us?" Minato asked as he looked at his sister.

"I think the stronger our bond to him, the nicer he is. Don't you agree?"

"He did seem like he might miss us if he were to be towed away." He said as they headed to the pharmacy, where they picked up a few things, including the migraine medicine, before they returned to the dorm and went to sleep.


	75. Episode 74: Doctor Check Up and Tantrum

Ep. 74: Doctor Check Up and Tantrum

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/26-

The next morning, the twins woke up by the sounds of their cells going off and both answered to hear the Velvet Room siblings, notifying them that there were now two people stuck in Tartarus and to get them out as soon as possible.

After that they did their daily morning routine and headed to school.

xxxxx

Lunchtime rolled in and Minako headed out of the classroom to get the drinks for the lunches, since her brother was asleep at the moment and figured she'd get a coffee one for him.

"Minako-chan!" She turned to see Akihiko as he went up to her. "Hey."

"Hello, Akihiko-senpai." She said a bit surprised but happy to see him. "Your day going good?"

"Yes, it has." He said. "Are you busy after school?" He asked.

"I'm free." She said.

"Good, let's hang out." He said with a smile, seeming happy that she said that she was available. "See ya."

"See ya!" She said as she continued her way to get the drinks, which was guarded by a number of Akihiko's fangirls. She went up to the machine casually as she put in the order as she felt the girls' glares on her, but she didn't let it bother her as she got the drinks.

"Wow… you must be on a diet or something if that's your lunch." Said one girl. "You do look like you need to drop a few."

"Oh? I think I'm rather healthy." She said as she turned to head back to class. "Excuse me, I have to get back to my friends."

"What are you, their errand girl?"

But she ignored that girl.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!"

She turned to face the girl. "There is a difference between talking like civilized adults that we are in the process of being, and then there's threatening. I'm sorry, but I don't want to cause trouble, nor do I wish to start something. Now please excuse me." She bowed politely as she left, saying hello to a couple teachers as they were walking past her, which was good timing because the girls there would've charged to get her.

"Hey, what's up?" Junpei said as Minako came back.

"Nothing." She said as she noticed her brother and Yukari are gone. "Where're Yukari and Toto-nii?"

"Oh, Yukari tried to talk to him about something, but he wouldn't wake up. So she went into her moody modes, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, waking him somewhat and dragged him out of the room with him telling her to let go and all that."

"Why?" Minako asked, a bit surprised to hear this.

"Probably to take him to the water faucets at the end of the hall to get him to wake up." He said as she face-palmed. "Hey, you talk to her."

"I will. Oh, I think the girls are really angry at me."

"Akihiko-senpai asked you to hang out again?" He was replied by a nod. "Then call him to meet up at the front of the school. The area is wide enough and if those girls try to jump ya, then all you have to do is hold your ground long enough for Senpai to see that you're in danger and he'll become your knight in shining armor and take you away."

She stared at him for a moment, as if contemplating if she heard him right. "You forced yourself to read shojo mangas again, didn't you?"

"You caught me." Junpei said as Yukari and Minato returned, who looked like he was caught out in the rain, if it wasn't a bright, cloudless day.

"Not a word." He said to the two of them as he sat down and opened his canned coffee. "Thanks Sissy." He said as he took a drink of it.

"You're welcome." She said as she quickly sent a text to Akihiko about meeting up at the front of the school.

xxxxx

When the last class ended, Minako gathered her things and told her brother she was going to hang out with Akihiko.

"Okay Sissy, have fun." He said as he gathered his own things as she left. "Time to go to photography club." He headed to the science room, where the room was turned into a dark room as Keisuke helped him how to take a picture the professional way and had a lot of fun.

Soon the club ended as everyone signed off on the sheet and he and Fuuka were at the main lobby to change back to their casual shoes when Fuuka grimaced.

"What's wrong?" He asked, seeing that she was in pain.

"This has been happening to me a lot lately…" Fuuka said as she looked to be in pain. "I just have a little headache… It's no big deal, really…" That is when Keisuke came up to her.

"You should really determine the cause of your headache; it could lead to further complications down the road." He said as he studied her. "Where are you experiencing the pain? Is it on one or both sides of your head? Can you describe the pain? Is it dull? Aching? Throbbing?"

"Uh-oh," Said a female member "Keisuke-senpai's playing doctor again… Looks like Fuuka-san's not going anywhere for a while."

"Playing doctor?" Minato asked as the female student looked at him.

"Yeah, if someone isn't feeling well, Keisuke-senpai always tries to figure out what's wrong with them. It doesn't matter when or where, either. And, he doesn't stop until he knows exactly what it is. Sometimes it takes forever."

"Is she going to be okay then?" He asked as another female member nodded.

"Oh yeah, she'll be fine. Keisuke-senpai's like a walking medical journal. We all appreciate his helpfulness, but it can get a little annoying after a while." She said with an annoyed look as if remembering it. "His father is the director of a large hospital. I guess he just can't stand to see people in pain. I bet he'll go to medical school and become a doctor."

"Huh…" Minato said as he looked to see Keisuke and Fuuka, as the senior seemed to get the pieces he needed for the puzzle.

"So the pain is emanating from the back of your head?" He said as he mentioned her to turn around. "Please turn around." He gently, but seemingly professionally felt around her head and neck, which he nodded when he felt around the back of her neck. "What' you're suffering from is known as a chronic tension-type headache, most likely a result of stress." He then put his hands down, allowing her to turn to look at him. "You must be spending too much time in front of the computer. You should get outside and exercise more." He then chuckled awkwardly. "That advice must sound funny coming from the leader of the Photography Club…"

"Oh, I thought I might have come down with the flu or something…" Fuuka said, sounding relieved.

"Well, if you're worried about that, I should perform a more detailed examination." Keisuke said. "Please remove your shirt, open your mouth, and stick out your tongue."

'That sounded so wrong if he wasn't serious about this!' Minato thought as he and a few others were shocked to hear this.

"U-Uh, that's okay. I'm fine!" Fuuka said as she waved her hands in front of her. "Anyways, my dorm is close by and my dorm mate Minato-kun is here."

"You guys are dorm mates!?" Keisuke said, sounding surprised. "Wow, I can see how Fuuka lives in the dorm. I mean, she's a girl so she knows how to cook and clean…"

'Stereotyping much?' Minato thought.

"But what about you, Minato-kun? Isn't it hard living on your own?" Keisuke asked, looking as though he really wants to know more about him

"It's not too bad. It's basically knowing how to cook and clean for yourself." He said as he felt his fragile bond with Keisuke get a bit stronger.

"Oh, sorry, Fuuka-san!" Keisuke said as he looked back at the junior girl. "I completely forgot about you… Now regarding your headache, I don't think you should be walking home. Why don't' I call you a taxi?" He then seemed to reconsider the idea. "On second thought, maybe a limousine would be better… The ride would be much, much smoother."

'If he wasn't being serious in this doctor mode thing, I would've thought he was flirting with Fuuka…' Minato thought.

"U-Uh, that's okay. I'm fine. Really." Fuuka said as she looked at Minato for help.

"If she passes out on our way to the dorm, I'll carry her there and let you know so you can talk me through it."

"Oh, that will be great." Keisuke said. "I'm glad she has such a concerned friend." And with that, he and Fuuka headed back to the dorm.

"Maybe you should lie down once we get home." Minato said. "I'm not really in the Tartarus mood."

"O-Oh, okay." She said as they talked a bit as they headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they did, they were greeted by Junpei and saw that the Chairman was there.

"Oh! Hello you two! Come on in!"

"Oh, hello Ikutsuki-san." Minato said. "What brings you here? Something we should know about?"

The Chairman laughed. "Oh no! The opposite, really! The mood around here has been so serious lately, I thought I would lighten things up."

'Oh Lord no…' Minato thought as he looked indifferent.

"So, today I will be performing my top ten jokes for everyone…"

Fuuka looked up to Minato as the Chairman continued to do one of his jokes to Junpei, who looked like he was suffering. "I know he just want to entertain us, but his jokes are really silly. What should I do?"

"Just laugh." He said. "He's not gonna change."

"Oh. Like this?" She said as she laughed along with Junpei. "Oh Ikutsuki-san, that's so funny!"

"I'm glad you like it!" The Chairman said as he went onto the next joke, in which the three juniors had to stay to listen, and then Yukari joined in the mix.

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, after she left homeroom, she went to the front of the school, in a way that none of the more bold fangirls' would try to get a jump on her when Akihiko came out, the hoard of fangirls staying a few feet behind him as he went up to her. "Hello Akihiko-senpai." She said, happy to see him.

"Hey Minako-chan. Wait long?"

"Nope." She said as they headed off the school campus together.

"Want to grab a bite to eat?" He asked.

"I am a bit hungry." She said as they headed to Iwatodai station.

xxxxx

They went to Wild-Duck Burger as they made their order and were looking for a place to sit.

"Minako-chan, there's a table open over here." Akihiko said as he pointed out the available two person table in the busy joint. "Man, it's crowded in here. Is there a promotion going on?"

"It's a possibility." She said as they sat down.

"That reminds me, the other day Mitsuru…"

"Noooo!" Cried out a child. "I want a milkshake!" Both looked over to see a small boy, no more than four or five, sitting with his family at the next table begins screaming.

"You already said you wanted to have juice! You can't have both!" Cried out the boy's mother, who looked tired and not in the patient mood. This continued as mother and child were getting louder.

Minako could feel her eardrum was starting to throb, reminding her of the few times that she would overhear her aunt and whatever current boyfriend she had at the time would yell and scream until dawn broke. She looked at Akihiko and smiled.

"I'm going to get something else…" She said as Akihiko looked at her.

"Oh… Really?" He asked as she nodded. "Okay, can you get me some coffee while you're up?"

"Sure thing." She said as he handed her some of his money while also impressed that he didn't seem bothered by the commotion. She went up to order water and a coffee to go along with their order from before, and both orders came out. She went back to the table with a tray of their orders just in time to see the family get up from the table and leave, the boy's screaming was dulling the farther he went.

"He was full of energy." Akihiko said, amused by the boy's tantrum.

She smiled and nodded. "He's just a child."

"Then you shouldn't hold it against him that he's acting like one…" He said as she giggled with a nod as he laughed. He then fell silent as he took a sip of his coffee as he seemed to debate on something before he looked up at her, who opened her water bottle. "Minako…" He saw her look up, giving him her attention. "Do you think I'm… strange?"

She blinked as she was confused by this question. "In a charming way." She said with a smile, making him blush.

"Th-That's not what I asked." He said as he seemed to blush a little more as he saw that she was waiting for him to continue. "Sometimes people tell me that I'm a weird guy, or that I act kind of strange… Normally, I wouldn't let that kind of thing get to me… But back in the day…" He sighed. "They'd say I was like that because I didn't have parents. It's not like I could do anything about that. That's why… I wanted to show them that they were wrong." He saw the look of surprise on her face, which he had to smile to help lighten the mood. "That doesn't matter now. That all happened back when I was a kid anyway… I mean, the orphanage wasn't all bad, either." He smiled gently at the nostalgic thought as he saw her looking interested as she didn't look surprised anymore and was fully listening to him. He then realized what he told her. "Oh, sorry… I don't think I ever told you. I don't have any parents. My sister and I grew up in an orphanage."

"You have a sister?" She said, shocked to hear this.

"My sister's long gone too." He said as she understood. "That reminds me, you don't have parents either."

"I guess it's kinda easy to forget that fact…" She managed to giggle a little, but it sounded bittersweet.

"Ah, sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up…" He said as he shook his head. "No, wait… I think that might be why I wanted you to hear what I had to say about this. Because I think I can depend on you to understand me." He smiled wryly.

She understood as she felt her bond with him get a little stronger.

"I'm sorry for talking about that sort of thing." He said. "We should start heading back." With that they threw away their trash and headed out of the burger joint.

"Akihiko-senpai…" She said with a sad smile. "You're very lucky."

"Huh?"

"You said that when you were younger, you would act out when someone would point out how strange you might've been. But I never had the chance to act out the way that boy did after my parents died. Neither of us did. I told you before that we were practically ghosts when we lived with our aunt. The only one who noticed us was her, only because she had no choice but to acknowledge us, and the few people outside of that wouldn't know us long enough to remember our names or faces." She sighed. "Even at school, when I was bullied that one time, I couldn't act out how I felt, because it brought attention… Attention that she didn't want." She giggled bitterly. "I can't tell you how many times I wanted to scream, but all I could do was put a pillow over my face to muffle my sobs when I cried." She looked at him. "It's moments like that I sometimes wished that she just give up and send us to an orphanage, but she had a reason to keep us, and who knows what could've happened to me and Toto-nii if that were to happen…" She sighed as she looked up at the darkening sky. "So you had a sister…"

"Uh, yeah…" Akihiko said, a bit speechless from what he learned about her.

She smiled. "That would explain a lot…"

"Huh?" He voiced as she looked at him.

"Why I feel at ease when I'm around you. You have that brother aura around you." She smiled. "And I think Toto-nii sensed that as well. Because he does look up to you."

Akihiko blushed as he didn't know what to say.

"Say, Akihiko-senpai?"

"Uh, y-yeah?"

"Do you think I'm strange?" She asked with a tilt of her head. "You asked me if I thought you were, it's just makes it even, right?"

Akihiko could only chuckle as she smiled. "At times, but you're a good kind of strange."

"That's good!" She said happily as they made their way to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they neared the dorm, Akihiko said that he remembered something and that he was going to be out for a while.

"Okay, I'll relay the message to Mitsuru-senpai."

"Thanks. I'll be back soon." He said as he left while she entered the dorm, where Junpei greeted her, making Fuuka and the Chairman look up.

"Oh, Minako-chan, welcome back." Fuuka said.

"Hey, where's Akihiko-senpai?" Junpei asked.

"He said he had to go somewhere, but that he'll be back." She said as she looked around to see if she could find Mitsuru.

"I see." Mitsuru said as she went up to the girl. "Did he happen to say where?"

"No, Senpai, I didn't think to ask."

"It's fine, he rarely gets himself into trouble." She said as she got a few discs in her hand.

"Are those for the school?"

"Yes, it's about that time do update about what's going on here."

"I see." She said as she looked at Yukari, who was at the dining table area and went up to her. "Hey there."

"Hey Minako." She said, happy to see her as she mentioned her to come closer. "If I were you, I would get out of here and up to your room as fast as you can. The Chairman is doing his jokes as we speak."

"Huh? That's all he's here for?"

"Yeah, to lighten the mood here." She sighed. "Well, I understand how he feels… But, it's just so lame…"

Minako looked to see the others were also suffering from the lame jokes as she smiled at Yukari and winked. "I'll fix this." She said as she went up to the Chairman. "Ikutsuki-san,"

"Yes?"

"I'm really glad you came over to help us laugh, we do need it, but we have to get to studying now. So, if you will excuse us, we'll be calling it a night."

"Oh, that's right! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take you away from your study time." He said as he excused them. "Good night everyone."

"Good night!" Everyone said as they headed up the stairs where Junpei wrapped an arm over her shoulders.

"Thank you Minako!" Junpei said. "I thought I was gonna die from trying to force my laughter out."

"You saved us, Sissy, thank you." Minato said with a smile.

"I'm surprised you haven't considered that method."

"You do that so much better." He said as they went their separate ways and turned in for the night.


	76. Episode 75: Sweet Fries and Money Loss

Ep. 75: Sweet Fries and Money Loss

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/27-

The next day, the twins decided to go to Tartarus tonight to get the two people out of there and headed to school. On their way to the school building, they overheard a conversation about people being found unconscious in pairs which seemed a bit odd but they can't be sure if it's involved with the Shadows.

The school day went on like molasses until the last class lecture of the day finally arrived and the twins parted ways to do their thing.

Minako found Fuuka getting ready in the Home Economics and the other junior girl smiled as she came in.

"Oh, Minako-chan!"

"Hey Fuuka-chan, so, what are we making today?" Minako asked as she grabbed an apron as well as she washed her hands.

"I'm thinking about making this today." Fuuka said as she brought out a few sheets of paper, meaning she printed out the recipe. "Tadaa! 'Sweet Fries'! Everyone loves them!" She then pointed out the large sack. "I bought a lot of sweet potatoes for them, so even if we mess up a little, it won't be a problem! So, you can relax a little too."

"That's a lot of sweet potatoes though…" Minako said as she nodded her head in determination. "Okay! Let's do our best!"

"Yep!" Fuuka said happily as they set out to work.

Minako sighed as she finally cut up her share of sweet potatoes and was satisfied with what she accomplished so far.

"One tablespoon of melted butter…" Fuuka said quietly to herself. "I didn't melt the butter yet, though… What do I do? There's no time now… Oh! Butter is just hardened oil, right? I can probably substitute oil. Olive oil should do the trick…"

Minako didn't hear what Fuuka was saying as she already had her own melted butter gently covering her share of the sweet fries until she was done with it.

"Okay, the final step is to put this in the oven." Fuuka said. "I'll put your in too, Minako-chan."

"Thanks." She said as Fuuka placed the baking pan with their sweet fries into the oven and looked at the dials.

"Let's see… The temperature is 180 degrees… and the setting for residual heat is…" Fuuka said to herself as she made quick work of the oven, which surprised Minako.

"Wow…" Minako said, gaining Fuuka's attention.

"Huh? Oh, um…" The shy junior giggled nervously. "I'm pretty good with machines… I like taking my time and reading through the instruction manuals for electronic devices, too…" She then blushed. "D-Does that make me seem weird?"

"That's impressive though." Minako said, shocking the other girl.

"Huh? I-It's nothing, really…" She said as she smiled and blushed a little more. "But, I'm happy to hear that. I thought it was embarrassing because it wasn't really girl-like…" She giggled. "I think this is the first time I've said something like that." She looked up at the other girl with a grateful smile. "To tell the truth… I knew that you wouldn't judge me over that…"

Minako felt touched by this as she felt her bond with the other grow a little stronger as they chatted while waiting for the sweet fries to bake.

When the timer went off, Fuuka went over to the oven. "Oh, I think it's done. Hot hot… Ah, I forgot that we have oven mitts." She said as she grabbed some oven mitts, opened the oven door, and took out the baking pan. "Look, Minako-chan. They look so beauti… ful?" She looked down to see one half of the pan has beautiful golden fries while the other half looked either over baked or under baked and not all that appetizing, in fact they don't even resemble sweet fries.

'What did Fuuka do to her fries?' Minako thought, not sure how the other's fries got the texture that they did.

"Oh… These ones look normal." Fuuka said pointing out the good looking fries. "They're the ones that you made, Minako-chan… Th-Thank goodness! They look really delicious."

"Here, I'll give you some to try too." Minako said as she took a fry and grabbed another to give to the other.

"Huh? Oh, yes, thanks…" She said as she seemed a bit depressed. "Thanks for the food…" She took a bite of it, only for her eyes to widen in surprise. "It's delicious… Minako-chan, yours are really delicious." She then sighed. "I guess… I'm no match for our leader…"

"That's not true, Fuuka-chan. I don't get electronics like you do." Minako said with a smile. "I'm completely dumb when it comes to that." She giggled as that made the other smile a little.

"Thanks." She said as she noticed the time. "Oh, it's almost time for us to go home. Let's clean up and go back."

"Right!" Minako said as she helped the other clean up and both headed back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minato, he was heading out of the classroom when Chihiro waved at him. "Hey there Chihiro-chan." He said as she went up to him.

"Hello, Minato-kun." Chihiro said as she seemed worried.

"Is everything going okay?"

"I'm doing fine! But I'm worried about that illustration book…" She said.

"You want to head over there to see if it's still there?" He asked as she nodded. "I know the old couple there, I'll ask them to hold it for you until you save enough to buy it."

"Really!?"

"Yeah, they told me they can hold books for a year if they have to if someone is really willing to buy it in the near future." He said. "I should know, Sissy loves that book store like it's a second home."

They were out in the main lobby when a male student called out. "Wait!" He went up to them, not looking happy at Chihiro. "They said my materials fee hasn't been paid yet. I was getting grilled in the office."

"Oh, that money…" Chihiro said. "I gave it to the teacher in the office…" Then a female student came up to her, apparently also part of the same club as the male student.

"Huh? I just told you…"

"You're the Treasurer, right? Why are you in that position if you don't know how to handle money properly?" Said the male student. "The teachers are in the office right now, so why don't you go fess up and apologize."

"I-I-I… I… I…" Chihiro said as she looked nervous and looked at Minato for help. "Minato-san…"

"You're not to blame." He said, knowing that even though she's not good at math, she was a delicate person and wouldn't lose money that easily.

"So you agree with me, right? It's NOT my fault! I-I gave the money to the teacher!" She said as she seemed relieved that at least one person believed her. "It's not my fault… so why should I have to apologize?"

The man student doesn't look like he believes her and clicked his tongue. "Whatever. Just make sure you take care of it. You're so happy since you got all that money…" He then grinned. "Well, you better do something before everyone finds out. Don't worry, I'll keep your little secret… for now." With that he left with the female student.

"Wait1 You think I…?" Chihiro called out, but the two students weren't paying attention to her as she looked like she gave up. "N-Never mind…" She sighed as she looked at Minato. "Th-Those guys think I stole the money… I-I couldn't stand up to them… But… I… didn't take anything!"

"I believe you." Minato said as he can see how troubled she is. "We have to do something…"

"R-Right… We have to do something, just like you said, Minato-san…" She said as she nodded. "I have to prove to everyone that it wasn't me…" She then looked stumped. "So, what should I do? I mean, I-I never expected this to happen…" She then looked panicked. "Minato-san! I…! What should I do!?"

He can sense his bond with her gotten stronger as he knew she depended on him to help her out with this, and he'll be damned if he didn't help her out at such a situation as this.

Chihiro shook her head. "Oh! No, this is, um, my problem, I'll… try to take care of it…" She sighed sadly. "BookWorms… Sorry, but I don't have time to stop today…"

Minato patted her back. "I'll walk you home." He said as he helped her to get home, telling her reassurances that they will figure this out and even tried to get a plan formed, but by the time they reached to her house, they haven't figured out a solid plan to work with.

"I'm sorry…"

"We'll figure this out, Chihiro-chan. Try to get some sleep. I'll talk to Mitsuru-senpai-"

"Please don't…" She said. "I don't want to trouble her."

"But-"

"Please Minato-san! Please don't tell Senpai about this…"

He sighed as he nodded. "As you wish…" He said, still thinking that telling Mitsuru about this will be at least a start to how to go about this, but Chihiro was at a delicate state when she was worried about things. 'She'll probably think a little straighter on Monday.' He thought, wondering if he'll bump into her before then, as he said good night to her and left to head back to the dorm. "Crap… I have to get something for that request…" He sighed. "What a day…"

xxxxx

When he arrived at the dorm, Minako was holding a poinsettia and talking to Fuuka before she noticed him come in.

"Hey there Toto-nii!" She said happily.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as she looked up from her book. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, just a long day for me." He said, going to keep his word to Chihiro. 'Damn my chivalry…'

"Toto-nii!" Minako said. "Don't you have work this evening?"

"Ah! I do…" He said as he sighed. "This is going to kill me…"

"Man up. I have to go over to work as well." She said as she held up the flower. "And we have to convince our boss about decorating the place in poinsettias for Christmas."

"That's months away!"

"So?"

Minato stared incredulously at her as he sighed in defeat. "Junpei… I blame you for this…"

"What did I do?" Junpei said as he looked up from his gaming console.

"Come, Brother Dearest." Minako said happily as she grabbed her brother's hand, who let her drag him out of the dorm.

"Seriously, what did I do?" Junpei said, completely lost as everyone was engrossed in what they're doing at the moment. "Guys…"

xxxxx

At the mall, they went into the alley to get into the Velvet Room and entered to face the siblings, who both greeted them when Elizabeth noticed the flower in the teen girl's hand.

"That red-leafed plant… is that the Christmas star?" Elizabeth asked as she took the flower to have a closer examination.

Theodore looked at it and looked confused. "I do not see any stars growing from it. Is it not star season yet? Stars growing in clusters on it… That will indeed be a sight to see."

"Nonsense Brother! It's suppose d to grow presents!" Elizabeth said as she looked confused. "But where is it?" She then sighed. "I'm quite disappointed…"

"That's because flowers can't grow presents…" Minako said, wondering if the siblings know anything about holidays.

"Just as I suspected…" Theodore said with a proud smile.

'He's just as off as Elizabeth…' Minato thought as he didn't bother correcting either of them.

"Really?" Elizabeth said as she looked a bit disappointed. "I was led to believe there would be presents growing from this plant." She then handed the plant back to the twins. "You may take it back with you."

With that the siblings rewarded the twins and they headed back the dorm to study and then fall asleep.


	77. Episode 76: Confiding Outing

Ep. 76: Confiding Outing

Minato: Above Average, Popular, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/28-

The next morning, Minako woke up early as usual, got dressed, and decided to let her brother sleep in as she left the room and headed down to the lounge when she caught up to Junpei who was heading up.

"Hey, Ko-tan! I was about to get you."

"Morning Junpei, what's going on?"

"I was gonna ask you if you want to hang out today?"

"Okay, have a place in mind?"

"Yeah, the Book On place. There's a manga I've been dying to check out and I heard it's there."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay I'll go."

"Sweet!" Junpei said as he mentioned her to follow him. "Then let's not waste any more time!" He laughed as they headed down to the lounge, where they told the seniors where they were going and left the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived at Iwatodai strip mall and headed up the stairs to the bookstore, they entered and Junpei looked for the manga, only to look confused.

"You wait here, Ko-tan, I'm gonna ask the guy at the front about something."

"Okay." She said as she picked up a manga to read. She was getting into the manga when Junpei returned. "Problem?"

"They're completely out until next month…" Junpei said as he sighed. "This sucks…"

"Must be pretty popular." She said as she patted his back. "Well, we're here, might as well pick up a manga and we'll grab lunch around here."

"Yeah…" Junpei said as he looked around the shelves as she went back to reading her manga. He picked up one, but wasn't happy at what he had forced himself to pick. 'So many shoujo manga…'

Later, Junpei had enough reading the third shoujo manga and mentioned to Minako that he was hungry and left the bookstore, where he sighed in disappointment.

"Everything okay Junpei?"

"Not really… We came all this way and I couldn't even read one manga that I wanted to read… Seriously, who was holding onto all the volumes in that series!?"

"Well, I'm sure who ever bought the whole thing must've liked it enough to have saved up their money to buy the whole lot…" She said, seeing that the other wasn't really in a great mood.

"Yeah, but since they didn't have that, I forced myself to read through some of that shoujo manga." His shoulders seem to slump from admitting. "You know the ones that're popular with girls now?"

"Yes, I was reading one not too long ago."

"Yeah, well, I was curious what they'd be like." He hung his head down. "But I gave up in half an hour. Reading those things wore me out…" He then looked up, looking a bit fed up. "All the guys in those manga are either really good-looking, really rich, or really smart. I mean, yeah, it's a manga, I know it's gotta be like that." He sighed as his posture seemed to bear a lot of weight. "But is that really the only kind of guy girls dream about?"

"Junpei…" Minako said as she lifted the bill from his cap, forcing him to look up. "Manga isn't reality. I've told you something similar to that, haven't I?"

"Oh, really?" He said as she nodded. "Oh… Okay, I think I get it." He straightened his posture. "The girls are all into it because it's something they can't get in real life, right?"

"That's the beauty of it for most girls." She said. "To be honest, I only like the artwork of the manga artist, the story line does tend to whistle the same tune, especially romances."

"I thought you'd be the kind of girl what would like that romancy stuff."

"I do, but there's a limit to it." She said.

"I guess you're right." He said as he seemed to think of something. "Then again, we've got Personas, so our lives are kinda like manga, too."

"To a degree." She admitted. "Maybe an action one with a hint of drama and comedy."

"Whoa, when I think about it that way, it's pretty exciting!" He said excitedly when he heard her giggle. "What's so funny?"

"Mitsuru-senpai is right, you're sounding just as bad as Akihiko-senpai."

"I'll take that as a compliment!" He said as he grinned. "Speaking of Senpai, you've been using his name a bit more recently."

She blushed as she nodded. "Well, yes, he gave me permission for me to call him by his name. But I'll still refer to him as Senpai."

"Yeah, for other reasons." He said as he seemed to have something in mind. "But you know… you should try to say his name without the honorifics when you two are alone."

She blushed as she sighed. "Are you also trying to help him, Junpei?"

"I wouldn't be a good cupid if I just help only one person."

"Junpei!" She said as he laughed.

"I'm hungry! Let's get a burger!"

She gave up and had lunch with Junpei.

xxx

Back at the dorm, Minato got up and turned on the television to see Tanaka's show on as he turned on the laptop to get to the online MMO. He purchased the advertised items and logged in to find Maya inside Lunarvale Hospital.

'_I went to the gym yesterday to work out! =D …my muscles are sore, but I'm soooo buff! ;) there's nothing a little endorphins wont cure, rite? Orz (…soooo much pain) actually, I only went cuz I was so pissed at that bastard! =/'_

'_Which bastard?'_ He typed in and waited for a response.

'…_errr sry ^^;; have kind of a dirty mouth today _'_ Maya responded as her character blushed_. 'what I meant was… I was upset cuz of this guy… remember that E-san guy (the SOB, rite?) I made a small error in my gradebook and now he's all on my ass "ur s'posed to set an example" he told me! =/ stfu old man! He thinks he's all that just cuz he's a history teacher ffs doesn't he know who I am? I'm maya, u old bas***d! t(^_^) xD if E-san starts playin this game too I'm putting him on Ignore! xD u can't talk to him either, k? hee hee… pwned!'_

Minato sensed his bond to his online friend gotten a bit stronger as he smiled at how the other player just confided their feelings to him.

'_E-san prolly doesn't have a computer his house ne way… _ he prolly uses a abacus! Talk about a "history" teacher! xD roflcopter'_

He laughed at this, seeing Mr. Edoka using ancient methods to do his work.

'_phew… much better. Maybe I'll go take a shower now ::blush:: dun worry! I won't let that old geezer get me down, tatsuya! ^_^'_ And with that, Maya logged off.

Minato chuckled as he logged off as well and decided to study for the rest of the day.

xxx

With Minako, she and Junpei returned to the dorm, where Junpei said he was gonna play a game and if she was interested.

"No, I better make sure Toto-nii is up and see if I can get him to walk a bit. Otherwise he'll become a hermit."

Junpei laughed at this as they parted ways on the second floor as she continued up to the shared room, where she saw her brother studying. "Hey Toto-nii, how are you?"

"I'm good, did you go somewhere?"

"I was with Junpei to the Book On store, then we had lunch at Wuck's."

"That's cool." He said. "What are you gonna do now?"

"Well…" She started to say when her cell went off. "Hold on." She took her cell out and answered. "Moshi, moshi…"

"Hey, Minako-chan, it's me." Akihiko said.

"Hey Akihiko-senpai, what's up?"

"Can I speak with you right now?"

She blinked as she nodded. "Sure, where are you now?"

"At BookWorms…"

She blinked, a bit surprised to hear this. "Okay, I'll be there." She said as she closed her cell. "Looks like I know what my next plan is."

"Have fun." He said as she left. As soon as she was gone he sighed. "First she hangs out with Junpei, then Akihiko-senpai…" He then grew a bit worried. "Doesn't she have any female friends to hang out with?"

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako was back at the strip mall and entered the used book store and saw Akihiko talking to the old couple before all three of them looked at her.

"Ah! Ko-chan! Nice to see you again!" Bunkichi said happily. "We were just talking to your boyfriend here."

"Oh! He's not-" / "She isn't my-" Both tried to correct the old man, only to stop mid-sentence when they tried to do it at the same time, making the old man laugh.

"I see!" Bunkichi laughed as Mitsuko giggled. "Well, don't let us hold you two, go on! Young people such as yourselves should be running off and having fun! But not too much." He said as he aimed the last one towards Akihiko, who was a bit lost to what the old man was saying.

"Thank you for taking care of Akihiko-senpai." Minako said as she bowed. "We will take our 'leaves' now." This made the old couple laugh.

"Oh! You're getting better at this, Ko-chan!" He said as the two students left the shop, waving at them before walking out of the door.

"I can see why you like coming here. Those two are a bunch of characters." Akihiko said.

"I'm guessing they told you all about me and Toto-nii."

"As if they were talking about their grandkids." He said as he saw her blush. "It shows how much they care."

Minako smiled as she was touched by this. "Oh! You said you wanted to speak with me?"

"Yeah, but let's also get something to eat." He said as he led them up to the ramen shop.

xxxxx

Once they were there, they ordered and Minako waited for him to say something as he sighed, looking troubled. "What's wrong?"

Akihiko looked at her as he scratched his head. "Well… The other day, a junior girl called me up and asked if I'd date her. I turned her down…" He sighed "but ever since then, she keeps bringing me letters and gifts…" His posture slacked as he looked even more troubled. "I could just ignore her, but I'd feel terrible. What in the world do I have to say to get her to stop?"

She blinked, as she thought about it. "Well… the easiest way for a guy in your position, and this is from a girl's point of view, you might want to talk to Junpei or Toto-nii on their view, but just say 'I have a girlfriend'."

Akihiko raised his brow. "Well, that would be the easiest way, but I don't feel comfortable lying like that…" He said as their orders came out. "If she presses me to prove it, maybe I'll have you play that part for me." He laughed a bit with a shrug, only to stop when Minako started to cough. "A-Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" She said as she coughed a bit. "Just surprised me is all." She managed to laugh a bit.

"Sorry, it did sound a little sudden. I mean, I didn't even ask if you would like to play the part." He said.

She giggled as she nodded. "I don't mind." She said as she looked at him, small tears from her small coughing fit were at the corner of her eyes as she wiped them away. "I don't like seeing you uncomfortable, so if I can help in anyway, I'll be glad to." She giggled.

"And you're okay with that?" He asked, not sure if he gets her logic.

She smiled. "Like I said, I don't like seeing you being uncomfortable. As your leader, it's my job to be sure everyone has a positive attitude even in the face of a strong adversary. If that adversary is a hoard of admiring fans, then put me on the front lines!"

He smiled as he shook his head. "You're truly a strange one." He said as he placed his hand on her head. "Thank you."

She smiled as her heart beat a little faster. "You're welcome, Akihiko-senpai."

With that they ate their ramen, paid, and left to head back to the dorm, having a race to get to the dorm, in which Minako won.

"Seriously! Where the hell did you get the energy to beat me?" He said, but he was smiling happily.

"I'm in the tennis club! We have to run at least a warm up lap before we start practicing, which is more running when we try to hit the ball." She said as she laughed.

"You two sure are energetic." Mitsuru said with some amusement.

"Hi Mitsuru-senpai!" She said as Akihiko waved. "How was your day?"

"Calm for the most part." She said as she looked over at her text book.

"You go get cleaned up." Akihiko said as he patted the junior girl's shoulder.

"Right." She said as she headed up the stairs.

"It looks like you have a weight off your shoulders." Mitsuru said.

"Does it show?"

"You've been looking like Iori after the test scores were posted."

"That's just exaggerating a bit much." Akihiko said as he stretched. "But, I do feel a lot better after talking to her."

"Well, what do you plan to do now?"

"Well… I plan on working out a little more." He said as Mitsuru waved him off.

"Then go do so. Don't stay up too late."

"I won't." He said as he headed up the stairs, where he saw Minato. "Oh, hey."

"Hey, had a good time with Sissy?"

"Oh, yeah, we had a good time."

"Sissy mentioned that you have some kind of trouble with a girl who doesn't take settle rejection well."

"Uh… well…"

"My advice is the same as Sissy's, because it's either that or ignoring her until your patience runs thin." He said as he sighed. "Just promise me that you'll keep her out of harm's way if she was to be in a situation with any of your admirers."

Akihiko nodded seriously. "I don't intend to get her into trouble."

"I know. But I'm her brother and I'm a natural worrier when it comes to her."

Akihiko chuckled as he nodded. "I understand."

"Senpai…" Minato said as he seemed serious. "What happened to your sister?"

Akihiko seemed surprised to hear this. "She told you that too?"

"No, it was kinda obvious…" Minato said. "It's kinda easy to tell when a guy's an older brother. But I don't see her… which means something happened. I know you didn't tell Sissy the details other than she's gone. But I want to know what happened."

Akihiko knew the other would understand, because the junior before him nearly lost his sister twice before. "She died in a fire."

Minato nodded understandingly. "That explains the fear you have whenever Sissy gets attacked by a fire attack."

"Huh?"

"The fear in your face... the kind that can stop one's heart for a brief moment." He said as he closed his eyes. "I've experienced that too, and still do."

Akihiko nodded as Minato opened his eyes. "That all?"

"Yeah…" Minato said with a bit of a smile. "I can trust my little sister to you." And with that he headed down the stairs, leaving Akihiko standing on the steps before he continued up to his room.


	78. Episode 77: The Blossoming Strain

Ep. 77: The Blossoming Strain

Minato: Above Average, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/29-

The next morning, the twins headed to school when Yukari caught up with them.

"Mornin'…" She said, looking a bit nervous.

"What's wrong, Yukari-chan?" Minako asked.

"Ya know, in about a week, there'll be another mission…"

"We know…" Minato said, but wondering what she was thinking. "What's up?"

"I was just wondering what it'll be like this time…" She said as she sighed. "I guess we'll keep fighting until we defeat all eight that are left. But, what are we gonna do after that?" She looked at the two. "I've been thinking about this for a while. I wonder if Mitsuru-senpai is hiding something from us…" Then the warning bell rang and they rushed up to their classroom.

xxxxx

Classes were normal for the most part as the twins thought about what Yukari said earlier, and it did seem rather troubling that the senior girl would hide something, but they figured there was a reason for that, and that the senior was trying to do it alone and not involve everyone.

"I think we should go to Tartarus tonight." Minato said as they walked the halls during lunch. "And I've already got the teams thought up."

"Huh?" Minako said as she waited for her brother to continue.

"I'm thinking that one of us should talk to Mitsuru-senpai. And I'm thinking you would be the one to do so."

"Huh!?"

"I can see she cares about you a bit, and you would be a bit easier to talk to than if Yukari tried to talk to Mitsuru." He sighed. "It's obvious Yukari isn't going to just up and straight up tell Mitsuru-senpai what's bothering her."

"That's true…" Minako said, feeling guilty for admitting something about her friend.

"I'll also put Junpei in your team, but I'll tell him to keep his ears out when you two talk, okay?"

She nodded. "I understand." She said as they got what they were asked to get and went back to their classroom.

xxxxx

When classes ended for the day, the twins were about to head over to Student Council, when the teacher asked them to help out with cleaning duty, which they did a quick task and headed over to the room, only to see Hidetoshi there.

"Oh, hello you two." Hidetoshi said as he gathered the papers. "Sorry, it was a quick meeting. Everyone left already." He smiled a bit. "It's actually kind of nice not having those hyenas around.

"You're not going home yet?" Minato asked.

"There's something I want to take care of before I go home." He said as he looked troubled. "About the cigarette butt in the boys' bathroom… I have to do something… soon." He sighed. "As you can see, the meeting's over, so you can leave if you want."

The twins looked at each other before looking back at him. "But we just got here." They said in unison, making the other smile.

"I see…" He said as he seemed happy for the company. "If you're not in a hurry, can you spare a few minutes?" He then looked serious as he walked over to the window. "A man without position, honor, or education… What can he cling to as he struggles through life? 'Sincerity' a man once told me." He then looked at the twins. "Do you want to know what happened to that man?" The twins stood there, waiting for him to continue. "While gathering information for a story, a TV anchorwoman was injured on the job. The executives for the TV station called it an 'unfortunate accident.' But when the magazine learned they were hiding something, the execs pointed the finger at the script writer. They said it was the writer who concealed the truth; he was made into a scapegoat." He then looked back out to the window. "That man is currently serving time for perjury. It was he who taught me the meaning of sincerity." He sighed. "In today's society, the weak are preyed upon by the strong. You can't survive on sincerity alone!" He then looked back onto the twins. "As for me, I'd like to build a corporation where everyone is treated fairly. But to do that, I'd need enough power to make my vision a reality."

The twins felt the other had opened up something personal to them as they felt their bond with him grow stronger as the other looked at the time.

"Well, seems like we're done here. I'll walk with you to the door." He said as they walked to as far as the main lobby and parted ways.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, before the twins arrived at the dorm, Fuuka and Yukari headed up to the command room.

"Sorry to bother you, Fuuka…" Yukari said.

"It's okay… What's on your mind?" Fuuka said.

"Well, um… I was hoping you could do me a favor, with your skill…" Yukari said as she seemed to gain confidence the more she spoke to the other. "I was doing some research on our school, and I came across something strange… Ten years ago, a lot of students missed school for some reason. They were reported as absent, but I found some records that suggest it was something serious. Do you know anything about it, Fuuka?"

"Me? Um, not really…"

"I know it was a long time ago, but… doesn't it seem suspicious to you? From what I've heard, this isn't the first time Shadows have appeared."

"Wait, are you saying…?" Fuuka said as she looked surprised.

"I don't know. But, I wonder… And I'm not trying to make trouble, but… Mitsuru-senpai acts kinda weird whenever someone asks questions about Tartarus."

"Does she?"

"I just wanna know what happened back then. If it doesn't have anything to do with the Shadows, then fine."

Fuuka nodded. "I understand. Okay, I'll see what I can do." And with that the two girls headed out of the command room and Fuuka headed to her room as Yukari went downstairs to the lounge where she saw Junpei just getting in the dorm.

xxxxx

When the twins arrived to the dorm, they were greeted by Mitsuru.

"Where have you two been?"

"Student Council." The twins said as this turned Mitsuru's head up from looking at her book.

"Student Council? Wasn't it a short meeting today?"

"Yeah, we got in when everyone but Hidetoshi left." Minato said.

"But we stayed to help him clean up, so that's a bit of our contribution to the council…" Minako said as she didn't seem too sure.

Mitsuru nodded. "That's very good." She said.

"Hey, have you guys heard of anything at school?" Akihiko asked.

"Can you be specific of that?" Minato asked.

"Right, well, everyone at school's talking about The Lost." Akihiko explained. "It seems the Shadows have started to attack again."

"And the full moon isn't until eight days." Minato said.

"The minor Shadows are getting restless it seems…" Minako said.

"Yeah, and this means the special Shadow will appear soon… just like Ikutsuki-san said."

"Yeah." The twins said as they were about to head up to their room when they noticed Junpei at the kitchen bar, looking over his text book but not really doing any studying.

"Hey Junpei, what's wrong? Stuck on something?" Minako asked as the other shook his head.

"Nah, I'm trying to figure out something."

"Well that's what studying is for." Minato pointed out.

"Not like that." Junpei said as he looked back behind him to see Mitsuru and Akihiko talking about something as he mentioned the twins closer. "Yuka-tan has been acting strange lately."

"What do you mean?" Minako asked.

"Well, when I came in, everything was normal, and then Mitsuru-senpai comes in… I'm not kidding you guys, but she has daggers in her eyes whenever she looks at Mitsuru-senpai."

"She mentioned about Mitsuru-senpai earlier today too." Minako said, sounding a bit worried.

"I wonder what happened…" Junpei said. "Maybe Senpai ate Yuka-tan's last bon bon."

"I doubt it…" Minato said as Junpei sighed.

"Yeah, even Yuka-tan wouldn't hold a grudge for something that small…"

"Where is she anyway?"

"She and Fuuka-chan went upstairs. That's all I know."

"I'll go talk to them and see if they're up for Tartarus." Minako said as she headed up.

"Good luck…" Minato said as he sat down next to Junpei.

"We're going tonight?"

"If they're up for it. And if we are, then you and Mitsuru-senpai will go with Minako. I'll take Akihiko-senpai and Yukari with me."

"Okay."

"I also want you to do something for me."

"Okay…?"

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minako, she checked the third floor for them, only to see that they weren't in there and headed up one more level to the command room and found them.

"Oh, Minako-chan…" Fuuka said as Yukari turned to face her.

"Oh, hey…" Yukari said. "What's up?"

"Oh nothing, just wondering where you two went and to ask if you're up for Tartarus tonight. There's two missing people on the bulletin board, and there hasn't been any news of them being found."

"Oh, okay, I'm up for that." Yukari said.

"And another thing. Brother and I discussed who we should have in our separate teams, since we're dealing with two victims, and you're going to be in Brother's team along with Akihiko-senpai."

"Oh, okay." She said.

"I'll let everyone else know." Fuuka said as she headed out of the command room.

"Well, I better get some of my homework done." Yukari said as she was about to leave the room.

"Uh, Yukari-chan…?"

"Hm? Something else you want to tell me?"

"Well… Is there something bothering you?" Minako asked.

"Huh?"

"Well… what you said to me and Toto-nii earlier has made us worry that something may have happened between you two. And I would like to know if there's anything I could do to help. Anything at all."

Yukari seemed surprised as she managed a smile. "Don't worry about that! I was just thinking too hard."

Minako stood there as she studied the other.

"Uh… something the matter?"

Minako shook her head. "Nothing I could do without forcing you to."

"Huh? Force me to?"

Minako looked down and sighed sadly. "You're lying to me, but that's okay. It just means you're not ready to tell me." Yukari was surprised to hear this as Minako started to head out to the door. "Come on, Yukari-chan. We have to get ready for tonight."

"R-Right…" Yukari said as she was going to stop the girl to talk to her when she realized she couldn't call out the girl's name as she headed down to the third floor. She followed quietly, feeling horrible while the sight of the other girl's sad expression was clear in her mind.

"_You're lying to me, but that's okay"_

'How could she say something like that and not press it?' Yukari thought as she looked up ahead to see her and her brother chatting happily outside of their door. 'Just what kind of person could do that so easily?' And with that she entered her room to try to focus on her homework before the time came for them to head out to Tartarus.


	79. Ep78: Troublesome Shadow Guardian on 59

Ep. 78: Troublesome Shadow Guardian on 59

Minato: Above Average, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/29-

Once they arrived at Tartarus and went up to the last floor, forty-seven, and asked Fuuka if she can sense the two missing persons when they entered the next floor.

"_It's hard to say…"_ Fuuka said. _"Wait… I sense one at least… three floors above you, but I can't sense the other one. It must be even farther up."_

"Any guardians?" Minako asked.

"_I do sense a great power… but it's still a long ways up."_

"Sounds like we're looking at a long night here." Minato said as he looked at the group. "Okay everyone, I think we should go about it like this." He looked to his sister. "Sissy, you and your group go on ahead in the next floor while we search this floor. Avoid the small fry Shadows as much as possible, and if a strong one is in your way, you know what to do."

"Right." Minako said. "And if we're preoccupied with the Shadows when you guys catch up, you guys go on ahead and do the same."

"Let's get going then!" Junpei said as he, Mitsuru, and Minako headed on ahead. "So, our objective is to find this person first right?"

"That's right!" Minako said. "But since we're going to be facing stronger Shadows, I doubt we'll be finding any small fry around here." And with that there was a Shadow that came up, only for Yukari to attack it with her arrow.

"Go on ahead!" Minato called out. "We got this!"

"Got it!" Minako called out as she and her group headed up to the next flight of stairs leading them up to floor forty-nine.

"Try and not seek out too many Shadows to fight with!" Minako said. "There are two lives to save here! If the second one really is farther up as Fuuka said, we might have to defeat a Guardian in here to get to the other person!"

"Oh shit! Seriously?" Junpei said as he asked Fuuka if she can get a reading on that to be sure.

"_I… I sense a great sense of power some ways away from the first person… But I still can't read where the other person is."_

"It seems Minako-chan is onto something." Mitsuru said. "If that's the case, we will need to reconsider heavily on our plan of action should we only rescue one."

"Yeah… I hate to say that it might as well be the case…" Minako said.

"We'll do this!" Junpei said. "We're pretty strong now. Sure these guys pack a punch, but we're sledge hammers compared to those guys."

Minako smiled as she laughed. "I like the way you're thinking, but as a leader and best friend, I have to say that we also need to pace ourselves, otherwise we're not doing much saving."

"Yeah, yeah!" He said as they avoided a Shadow to get to the next floor.

"_I sense the person in the next floor!"_

"Thanks Fuuka-chan!" Junpei said.

"How's Brother and the others doing?" Minako asked.

"_They're catching up to you as we speak."_

"Great!"

"Watch out!" Mitsuru said as she blocked an attack that headed towards to Minako. "Looks like we can't avoid this!"

"Okay!" Junpei said, ready to fight. "Let's make quick work out of you! We have bigger fish to fry and people to save!"

Minako looked determined as she attacked the Shadow telling the other two to use their Personas to get the Shadow, since it was one they faced before and saw her brother and his group. "Keep going! We got this!"

"Got it!" Minato said as he and the others went on ahead to the next floor, where they found a man in a business suit, crouched down and holding his head, mumbling something incoherent.

"Good, we found him." Yukari said as Akihiko went up to the man, talked to him to get him to help him to his feet, then asked Fuuka to get him out, since Minato asked him to do this, having something very personal to discuss to Yukari.

When Akihiko and the man were teleported out, Minato then looked at Yukari. "Hey, Yukari, can I talk to you?"

"Uh, sure, what's up?" Yukari said.

"It's about what you said about Mitsuru-senpai earlier, just what's really bugging you? Maybe I can help?"

Yukari seemed surprised to hear this as she sighed. "Well… Thing is… Don't you think Mitsuru-senpai only tells us things we absolutely need to know. I think she should include us in more. Don't you agree?"

"I agree, but…"

"It's hard to know what's going on when she makes all the decisions. And that kind of behavior can lead to misunderstandings…"

"So does not saying anything…" He said as the other members of the group came back as well as Akihiko.

"So, we're all here again." Akihiko said. "Should we continue up? Fuuka said that there's a huge possibility that we'll face the guardian in the next few floors."

"Is everyone feeling okay? I know we've at least fought once before this point." Minako as she looked to see a Shadow, but it panicked and ran away.

"I'm good to go." Junpei said.

"I can continue." Mitsuru said.

"I like to see what this guardian looks like." Akihiko said with a confident grin.

"I can continue." Yukari said.

"Let's continue on then." Minato said as they made their way up another level.

When they made it to floor fifty-five, there were large Shadows that were blocking their way.

"Sissy! Mitsuru-Senpai! You two go on ahead! At least get Fuuka a good reading of what we're dealing ahead!" Minato called out. "Junpei! You stay with us this time, we're gonna need you for this one!"

"Okay! You can count on me!" Junpei said as he attacked the Shadow the same time as Minato.

"Okay!" Minako called as she and Mitsuru made their way pass the large Shadow.

xxxxx

Once they put some distance away from the fight, they headed up to the next level and simply walked.

'This is a good enough time as any to tell her…' Minako thought as she looked up to Mitsuru. "Uh, Mitsuru-senpai…"

"Hm? Yes?" She said as they walked carefully.

"Um… I don't know if you've noticed, but Yukari seems suspicious of you lately."

"Really?"

Minako nodded. "She confided in me and Toto-nii earlier in the day before school, but something she said is a bit… I don't know what kind of word to use, but… Are you hiding something from us?"

"Hiding?"

"You don't have to say anything, but I just want to know if there's anything that you know that you might not wanted to share with us for some reason."

Mitsuru can see the honest sincerity in the girl's eyes and way she carries herself as she smiled understandingly. "I'm thankful for your concern. And no, it is not my intention to hide anything from you or anyone. If that is what some of you feel, I apologize. But I'm not hiding anything that I don't deem really important to share."

"Oh, okay." Minako said, feeling relieved. "I'm glad to hear that."

"I've noticed that Yukari has been avoiding me as of late in the dorm…"

"Toto-nii and I have told her to talk to you about it, but…"

"It's alright…" Mitsuru said.

"But it isn't!" Minako said as she stopped walking. "It's not about showing respect for you as a Senpai or things like that, but as a teammate, both of you have to settle things before it gets worse."

Mitsuru was a bit taken aback by the emotion the other was displaying. "I understand how you feel, but this is something that Takeba will let me know in time."

"But-" She was going to continue when Mitsuru placed her hand on her shoulder.

"We will discuss this later…" Mitsuru said as she heard the others come up.

Minako felt that she hadn't made progress in talking to Mitsuru, but knew that this was something that will work out in the end, though she wasn't looking forward to that day.

"You guys alright?" Junpei asked, figuring they were way ahead of them.

"Yes, we just defeated a Shadow and taking a breather." Mitsuru lied coolly.

"Okay. Then let's continue." Minato said as they went up to the next floor, floor fifty-seven, when Fuuka told them that she sensed a great power up in floor fifty-nine, and she can sense a faint presence in the sixty-first floor.

"Okay…" Minato said as he took a moment to think. "How is everyone doing?"

"If Yukari is able to, she can us her healing ability to heal us enough to get through the guardian fight." Akihiko suggested. "I really don't like the idea of leaving the person in here since we know where they are."

"Yukari? Is that okay with you?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, I can do that. I don't want the person to suffer this place longer then they had to." She said, sounding a bit determined.

"And with all of us coming at it at once, I doubt we'll have trouble." Junpei said.

"If everyone else feels confident about continuing, then I will not disagree to continue as well." Mitsuru said.

"Okay, we'll do the healing when we get to that floor." Minato said. "Until then, we have to avoid fighting any Shadows on this and the next floor."

"Got it!" Everyone said as they made their way to the next set of stairs, avoiding the Shadows in that floor, and then finally reached to the floor where the guardian resided.

xxxxx

After Yukari has used her healing ability on everyone, and getting something to keep her energy up with Minako's homemade snacks and drinks, Fuuka told them it's only one Shadow guardian, and it's a pretty big one.

"Everyone ready?" Minato asked as everyone seemed determined. "Let's try to get this one down quick and get the other person out of here." With that they set out to look and found the said Shadow, which looks like a white, ghost knight mounted on an invisible horse by the way the armor looks to be fitted.

"_This Shadow is an Emperor!"_

"Thanks Fuuka! Try to get a reading on it!" Minako said as she and her brother made the first move, with having both their main Personas, Orpheus and Eurydices, doing a slash attack, which didn't seem to do much, no surprise. What did surprise them was the Shadow turned to Mitsuru and attacked her, knocking her unconscious.

"Shit! This guy's fast!" Junpei said.

"Mitsuru!" Akihiko called out as Yukari ran over to her.

"Senpai!" Yukari called out as she concentrated her healing onto the unconscious senior.

"Cover me, Sissy!" Minato said as he went over to act as a guard.

"Right!" Minako called out as she looked to see Akihiko and Junpei attacked.

"Damnit!" Junpei said. "Barely scratched the damn thing!"

Mitsuru got up with Yukari's help as she got her Envoker out and summoned her Persona to do an ice attack, which produced the same result.

"This isn't good…" Minato said as he attacked, only to get hit by his own attack.

"Minato!" Yukari called out as she went over to him, only for the Shadow to attack her, knocking her out.

"Yukari!" Minato called out as Mitsuru went over and placed a bean of some sort in the unconscious girl's mouth, forced her jaw to crush the bean, which had an instant reaction as Yukari was awake.

"Yuck! The hell was that!?"

"Revival bead. It's supposed to get you up, not taste good." Mitsuru said as Akihiko and Minako tried to attack, only to be knocked back.

"Damn! That counter thing again!" Akihiko said as he got back up. "You okay!?"

"In fine. Just annoyed as you are!" Minako said as she looked at the armor mask of the horse. 'This is bad…'

"I'm sorry everyone!" Fuuka said. "I've been trying to read it, but I can't make it out!"

"Don't worry about it then!" Junpei said as he attacked, getting a hit on it. "I think we're getting close guys!"

"Hang on guys!" Yukari said as she got her Persona to heal everyone a bit. "That should hold you guys!"

"Here!" Minato said as he used one of his Persona's healing ability to help her out a bit more. "You're our main healer, we're in deep shit if you're down."

"You got that right!" Yukari said.

"Watch out!" Minako called out as the attack that was used to knock out Yukari before started up again. "Move!"

Yukari did that, avoiding the passive attack.

"Oh man! It's rearing up for another attack!" Junpei called out.

"Everyone! Defend!" Minato called out as he and everyone was in defense, riding out the sudden fire attack, which nearly took a toll on Mitsuru.

"Hang in there!" Minato called out as he and his sister used Personas that used Bufu attacks, which seemed to do more damage next to some of the physical attacks their Personas can do.

Soon the Shadow was finally showing signs of weakening as Yukari was soon moving around to avoid the Shadow's knock out move on her, her main role was simply healing everyone while everyone attacked it.

Soon the Shadow disappeared by Mitsuru's last icy attack and took a moment to breathe.

"S-Shit…" Junpei said as he sat down. "That nearly owned us…"

"No kidding…" Akihiko said as he moved his shoulders. "Then again, that was an Emperor Shadow we just faced…"

"I'm done…" Yukari said. "I've never had to use so much healing in one battle…"

"Here…" Minato said as he held out his hand. "I'll carry you the rest of the way."

"Oh! You don't have to do that!" Yukari said as he raised a brow. "I can get up." She tried to do so to prove it, but the amount of energy she spent healing everyone took more of a toll on her than she had realized and fell into his arms.

"Quit being so headstrong for five minutes." He said as he turned around so that his back was facing her. "Hop on."

Yukari blushed horribly, but she did as he told her and was carried on his back. "This is so embarrassing…"

"You'll get over it." He said as he saw his sister smile at him, making him blush as he knew what she was thinking.

"Let's continue on." Minako said. "We still have to find that one person and call it a night." She held out her hand to help Junpei back up.

"Yeah." Junpei said as he got up onto his feet. "Too bad this person won't remember what happened here, otherwise they owe us for helping them out."

"Come on now, Junpei." Minako said with a smile as they headed up to the stairs, Fuuka telling them there aren't many Shadows to deal with, which was fine with them, as they found the next set of stairs to the sixty-first floor and found their missing person.

"Take us out of here, Fuuka." Minato said as they were transported back to the entrance.

"Are all of you alright!?" Fuuka asked, seeing how worn out the group looked.

"We will be once we get these two to the police station and get a good night's rest." Akihiko said, carrying the woman they found as Mitsuru and Junpei helped out the man as they headed out.

"Hey… I can walk on my own from here." Yukari said to Minato.

"If you say so." He said as he helped her down safely.

"Thanks…" She said as she started to walk, only to wobble a little and, unintentionally grabbed his arm for support. "Oh, uh… sorry…"

"It's okay…" He said as they walked along with the other's to the police station, dropped the two people there, and headed back to the dorm.

"Man… I'm gonna sleep like a bear in hibernation… I don't know if I'm gonna be able to get up tomorrow…"

"All of us are going to have that trouble." Minako said as she patted his shoulder. "But this should become second nature to us."

"Yeah… Right…" Junpei said as Akihiko chuckled.

"I'll be sure to make coffee for all of us when I get up."

"Damn you early risers…" He said, making the group chuckle as they reached to the dorm and slept restfully the rest of the night.


	80. Ep79:Troubles,Determination,andOptimism

Ep. 79: Troubles, Determination, and Optimism

Minato: Above Average, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-6/30-

The next morning was mostly normal for them until lunch rolled around.

"Yo! Ko-tan!" Junpei said as he nearly scared Minako out of her skin. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"No, I needed the wake up call." She said with a laugh. "You got me good."

"Glad to help!" Junpei said with his own laugh. "So, wanna hang out after school?"

"Sure." She said.

"I'm thinking either Wucks or ramen. Oh, I also wanna check out Book On and see if they got the manga I wanted to read in there yet."

She laughed as she nodded. "Wucks it is!"

"Sweet!" He said as he sighed. "Damn… why is your bro taking so long with the drinks?"

"I'm sure he's on his way." She said as Fuuka gave her back her lunch. "Have an idea what to do?"

"Oh, yes! I'm sorry for always bothering you for your lunch, but you do such a beautiful job." Fuuka said as Natsuki raised a brow.

"I know you're trying to learn how to cook, but digging through someone's lunch is kinda rude." She said as she looked at Minako. "I'm surprised you let her do that to your lunch."

"I don't mind really. It all ends up in my stomach anyway, and everyone knows that stomach acid is enough to burn away skin if not for the special lining in the stomach walls to avoid it burning through and damage the lower organs."

"I didn't know that…" Junpei said as the girls looked at him. "I was asleep! Can you blame me!?"

"Do you really want us to answer that?" Natsuki said as she stretched. "Well, we should start heading back to our class, Fuuka."

"Oh, right." Fuuka said as she bowed. "Thank you for letting me look at your lunch again, Minako-chan. I'll see you at the dorm."

"Okay, later Fuuka-chan." She said as the two girls left.

"You're too nice, Ko-tan."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Not really, but it can be troublesome for some people." He said as she giggled. "Hey I'm being serious here!"

"I know, I'm sorry." She said as she smiled. "Thanks for always worrying about me."

Junpei grinned as he patted her shoulder. "Well, I have to make sure my sister pal is doing okay."

"Sister pal? Is that like a step up from best friend?"

"I guess so! If Minato is my bro, then you're my sis."

"Sounds good to me." She said as they continued to chat through the lunch period.

xxx

With Minato, he was heading to get the drinks when he saw Chihiro heading to the library. He went up to her and she was a bit startled.

"Oh, Minato-san…"

"Hey, are you doing okay? You seem down…"

Chihiro sighed. "The missing fee money… No one's found it yet…" She said sadly. "No one's said anything to me, but… I know what they're all thinking… I can't think anymore… I… don't want to be here…" She then looked a bit startled. "S-Sorry! I… I shouldn't be saying things like this as a member of Student Council… I… I'm going to go check out some books…" She then went to a shelf as he waited for her.

"So, yeah… There's no way it could be anyone else…" Said one girl to her friend. "It has to be her… That girl in Student Council… The sophomore… with the long hair and glasses. The one who's always reading. I hear she stole the class's money… 2,500 yen per person… Damn, I could buy a brand name purse with that much! I hear she has no father… There's no way they could have any money, since her mom only works part-time. How could it NOT be her!? She has such an innocent face, thought…"

Minato just had about enough hearing this and went over to the girl. "Hey, listen-"

"Whaddya want?" Said the second girl. "Are you a friend of Chihiro's?" She squinted her droopy eyes, as if she forgot her glasses. "Then again, maybe not. You don't' look like you'd be hanging out with her…"

Minato was about to say something about that and what they were saying earlier when the Library staff came over.

"Excuse me, this is the library. Please show some courtesy."

"Let's go outside," Said the first student "I'll tell you the whole story."

He was about to go after them when he saw Chihiro coming out from the aisle next to where he was standing, holding onto some books in her arms, like an upset child with a teddy bear.

"I… couldn't find it…" She said as she looks like she's about ready to cry as she placed the books she had in her arms down on a nearby cart. "Let's get out of here."

He nodded as he escorted her to the main lobby, which didn't have a lot of students around.

"You heard that rumor going around the whole school, right?" She said as he nodded. "The only time I feel safe is when I'm with you, Minato-san…" She held her head down. "I have no one else to turn to in school…"

"You really have to talk to the teacher."

"R-Right… I gave the money to him, so I should ask for an explanation…" She said as she seemed to cheer up a little before looking nervous. "B-But, what if he thinks I'm accusing him of stealing? N-Now I'm scared…" She bit her lower lip for a moment before she spoke once again. "I-I may sound like I'm weak, but I'm fine! Really, I am!" She shook her head. "I don't think it's right for me to always be counting on you, Minato-san…"

"Chihiro-chan…" He said as he felt that she still needs his support as he felt his bond to her get a little stronger as she excused herself and left. He sighed, concerned about her when the warning bell rang. "The bell… Oh crap! Lunch is over…" He headed back to class, seeing Junpei looking at him as if he had done something wrong.

"The hell man?"

"I had to help someone." He said as class started up.

xxxxx

When classes ended for the day Minako gathered her stuff and headed out with Junpei while Minato said he was going to photography club.

Junpei and Minako headed to as far as the school gate as Junpei stopped to look at the school building.

"What's up Junpei?" She asked, stopping to see him as he sighed.

"I keep getting this feeling that everything's so peaceful at school." Junpei said, still looking at the building. Everyone seems to be having fun, but they don't know what's going on…" He turned to look at her. "That doesn't make a difference or anything, but… It's like… I feel this wall between us and them… That's okay, because I don't really talk about serious stuff with them." He paused for a moment before smiling. "Hey, wanna go eat something?"

She was going to say something when another voice called out. "Hey, it's Junpei. You going home?" And Kenji came up to talk to Junpei. "Oh, sorry." He said, just now noticing her there. "I didn't notice you, Minako-san."

"That's okay…" She said as Kenji smiled.

"Ohhh! If that's how it is, you should've told me."

"It's nothing like that." Junpei said, getting what the other was getting at while Minako was a bit lost. "Weren't you here to hear me make that announcement? It took a lot of balls to have the whole school hear you after all. And besides, we live in the same dorm, so we—Hey, why are you getting your phone?"

Kenji took his cell out, not paying attention to the other junior boy and looked up to Minako. "Minako-san, mind if we take a picture together?" He asked.

"Sure. I don't mind."

"You don't' mind either?" Junpei asked, a bit surprised. "What is this? Is this some code I'm not getting?"

"My sister keeps bugging me for pictures from school, but all I have are guys." Kenji explained.

"Younger or older sister?" Minako asked.

"Young, and she's annoying." He said as he looked back to Junpei. "What'll she say if I don't show her at least one picture of me with a girl?"

"But still…" Junpei said as Kenji and Minako posed in front of Kenji's cell as Kenji steadied his hand to take the picture. "A picture? Wait… Could it be you? Is it YOU!?"

The two looked at Junpei as Kenji answered. "Yup! Wait, what?"

"I-I'm gonna tell you this as a friend, got it?" Junpei said seriously. "Peeping on girls is a crime!"

"Who's peeping!?" Kenji said as he pointed to Minako. "I just asked her if it was okay!"

"Not just now! PE! Picutres! The ones going around!"

Kenji then looked lost. "Huh? What're you talking about? I don't know anything."

Junpei then calmed down and seemed to realize something. "Oh, right. You're only into older women."

"That's right!" Kenji said proudly. "At least I'm proud of who I am! So, what this about? Are there pictures of her going around?" When neither of the two would answer him, it was obvious it was the case. "Wouldn't the photography club be your first bunch of suspects?"

"The photography club?" The two said in unison as Junpei continued. "I totally forgot about them…"

"But…"

"Alright, we'll go check it out." Junpei said looking determined. "Thanks, Kenji."

Kenji smiled as he gave them a 'victory sign'. "Make sure you smack 'em for me, too."

"Why?" Junpei asked as he shook his head. "Never mind. C'mon Ko-tan!"

"Huh!? Wait!" She said as she bowed to Kenji. "Thank you very much." After that she ran after Junpei.

xxxxx

When they were nearing the science room, Minako was able to catch up to Junpei. "Junpei, wait! Toto-nii is in the club! Wouldn't he notice!?"

Junpei stopped as he considered this. "Hm… Good point… Minato would definitely go ape shit if he saw pictures of you in the club…" He said. "Then again, maybe the culprit knew this and is crafty enough to avoid something like that happening."

"That's possible…" She said as they entered the science room, where the room is bathed in a red light and the scent of solution hung in the air.

"Oh, hello." Said Keisuke as he was the only one in the room, adjusting a camera. "The other club members are out right now. What did you need to ask about?"

"Th-There's supposedly this photo going around." Junpei explained. "You know anything about it?"

"Going around?" Keisuke asked, looking confused. "What photo is it?"

"It's a picture of me." Minako said.

"Huh?" Keisuke seemed surprised to hear this. "I don't know anything about that…" He said as he looked at some of the photos clipped up onto the laundry line above their heads. "I know all the film used by the club members gets developed here." He then looked back to them. "But, I don't remember seeing anything like that." He then seemed to understand what they were talking about. "Ohhhh, so you mean someone was being a Peeping Tom? That's why you're here… You sure you don't want to join the club?" The two shook their heads no. "Oh, well, it's not me. Also, none of our members would do such a thing."

"But, that's…"

"I know! People who love the art of photography would never stoop so low. I can tell you none of my people would have done it."

Junpei mentioned her to turn around as he leaned in to whisper. "What do you think, Minako? Can you trust him?"

She nodded. "I can trust him." She said.

"Wow, thanks." Keisuke said as the two look back to him, who seemed relieved that his innocence wasn't put to question. "I'll ask all the club members, too. Just in case. I'll get everyone with a digital camera to show me their data, too. Sorry, but that's pretty much all I can do to help. I know it must be rough."

"Can you also do one more thing?" Minako said.

"Sure."

"My brother is in your club, Minato. Could you please not mention my name when you do tell them."

"Oh, okay. I thought you look familiar. You must be the cute twin sister Fuuka-chan mentioned. She said that you two are the only members of her cooking club."

"Yes, it's a lot of fun!" She said as they parted ways as she left with Junpei back out to the front of the school, in time before Minato and the other club members returned to the dark room to start working on developing their photos.

xxxxx

"Hmm…" Junpei hummed as he sighed. "You know, we haven't made any progress at all! I guess we'll just have to go about this in a more direct way…"

"Direct way?"

"Yeah, I'll try asking my guy friends again, too. I mean they have to have gotten the picture from somewhere, right?"

"Right."

"Wait right here. Okay?"

"Sure. And thanks Junpei."

"No prob." Junpei said as he looked determined. "It's suck if your social life got ruined by something like this."

She smiled as she can sense her friend's genuine concern for her as she felt her bond grow stronger as he patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna spread the rumor around even more." He said as he sighed as he looked at his watch. "Shit… If I know those guys, they're probably already at home or somewhere where it will be hard to get a hold of them." He sighed as he shrugged. "Well, let's just go back for today. I'll ask them tomorrow when we hang out."

"Yeah." She said as they both headed back to the dorm, talking about random things to make them laugh.

xxx

With Minato, he arrived to the science room, was given a camera to use and he and Fuuka set out to take pictures around the school. He was surprised at himself when he started to take notice of the light placement, the best position to take a shot of a flower, even took note of where the shadows fall. When time was up, he and the others headed back to the science room, where Keisuke announced about the concern of using the club for unlawful activity and checked the few members with digital cameras, which they were cleared, and everyone else started to develop their photographs when the advisor came in.

"Everyone, can I have your attention please!" Everyone stopped to listen to their advisor. "Now, regarding the Bay Area Photography Contest, I'm pleased to announce that Keisuke's photograph was selected for consideration in the final round!"

"Aw man, I was hoping they'd pick mine…" Said a male club member as he looked at the club president. "But, your photo WAS really good, Keisuke-senpai, so I thing you'll win."

"Th-Thanks, but it wasn't me, it was my dad's camera that I used… I was probably just the only contestant who used a single lens to take pictures with, that's all." He said, looking embarrassed.

"Great job!" Minato said, patting the other's back.

"Th-Thanks, Minato-kun!" Keisuke said as he seems happy. "But, I've only been taking pictures for about two years now, so I must've just gotten lucky…"

"You should have confidence in yourself, Keisuke-senpai. You've been working hard on your pictures." Fuuka said.

"That's right." Said another male club member. "You're always the first one here and the last one to leave."

"Thanks, guys." Keisuke said, seemingly touched by this. "But I'm your senpai. I should be encouraging you, not the other way around." He then looked at Minato, chuckling nervously. "Ah, sorry, Minato-kun… I'm not making much of an impression, as the club leader, am I… I'm not much of a photographer, but I'd be happy to collaborate with you on a project, sometime…"

Minato nodded as he can sense solidarity from the other as he felt his small bond with the other grow just a tad stronger as he saw the look of solemn on the other.

"Well, I guess I should keep taking pictures for as long as I can…"

Minato wondered what the other meant by that, but didn't ask him as he and the other members were cleaning and putting the science room back in order before heading out to the main lobby.

"How should I explain this…" Keisuke said to himself as there was a student that didn't look too good.

"Wh-What's going on?" Said the male student as he used the foot lockers to keep himself up "Ugh… I… can't stand…"

Keisuke looked at the student and went over to him quickly. "Just take it easy…" He said as he studied the student. "You're pale, you blood pressure's low, and you're having difficulty breathing… Now, tell me… Have you been feeling weak and tired lately?" His response was a nod and 'yeah'. "When's the last time you ate something?"

"Um… Well, I didn't eat breakfast this morning, so…" The sickly student said as Keisuke studied the other's health before nodding.

"Well, it looks like you're suffering from iron deficiency anemia. Simply put, you're not getting enough iron. I recommend you add iron-rich foods such as liver, whole grains, and green leafy vegestables to your diet."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Minato asked.

Keisuke nodded as he looks at the sickly student. "You should still get checked out by a professional… I'm not a real doctor, after all…" He said as he seems a little sad. "Why don't you guys head home? I'll take him to the Nurse's Office." He said as the sickly student seem to lose more color when he said that.

Minato nodded as he and Fuuka walked to the dorm together.

xxxxx

"Oh! Minato-kun…" Fuuka said while they were walking towards the station.

"Hm?"

"Uh… Are you hungry?"

Minato knew that Fuuka and his sister were cooking together and knew what the other girl made lunch again as he nodded.

"Oh good." She said as they found a place to sit down as she took out the boxed lunch she made. "I made lunch… Would you mind trying some of it? I think it'll taste better than last time…" She smiled a bit nervously. "At least, it can't be any worse, right?"

Minato opened the lunch box to find that it did look good. He was going to take the first bite when a cat came up to them.

"Oh, a kitty cat!" Fuuka said as she smiled. "Aw, he's so cute. He looks hungry, doesn't he? Here, kitty kitty." She then looked up to the other. "Maybe I should give him some food. What do you think, Minato-kun?"

Minato shrugged his shoulders. "Sure." He said as she smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say that." She said happily as she took the chopsticks from him with, picked up the rice and held it out to the cat, who sniffed at it before its fur went up and hissed at it. "Huh?" And with that the cat ran away. "Wh-What happened…?" She looked at the rice. "Wait, was it the food?" She placed the rice in her mouth, only to have a disgusted expression on her face. "Ew! This tastes terrible!" She looked back to Minato, and then at the lunch box. "I must've left it out too long…" She sighed as she held out her hands to retrieve the box lunch. "S-Sorry, Minato-kun… Please don't eat any of this… I don't want you to get sick…"

Minato handed back the lunch box as he could see that Fuuka seems very discouraged as she sighed.

"I'm so disappointed…" She said as she looked down at her nicely organized but failed lunch box. "I just want to help everyone, even outside of battle… And there aren't many chances to eat homemade food when you live in the dorm, even though Minako likes to cook there's not enough time for her for most of the week… So I thought it would be nice to make lunch for everyone, but…" She sighed. "I need to get better at cooking."

"Isn't Sissy helping you?"

"Oh of course! She helps me so much!" She said with a smile. "But… maybe with your help as well, I can improve along with Minako-chan."

Minato nodded as he can sense that she needs his help, as far as being one of two people who are brave enough to even try her cooking as he sensed his bond to her get stronger.

"It's kind of hard for me to say this after all that's happened, but… I'd be happy if you'd be willing to taste test my food again."

"Sure." He said as they got up and made their way back to the dorm, where Minako was about to head out to grab a few things, in which she told them it was partly for the cooking club. Fuuka wanted to go, but Minako said she has a quick cooking assignment for her in the kitchen and had instructions for her to begin.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! And I'll see how you did when I come back."

"O-Okay!" Fuuka said as she seemed determined. "If Miss Leader went out of her way to do this for me, then I'll do my best!" With that she went into the kitchen as Minako continued her way out, only for her brother to come along.

"Don't you have some things to do" Minako asked.

"Not really. Besides, you need some help carrying things, right?"

Minako smiled as she nodded. "Right." She said as they headed over to the mall to go to the pharmacy.

xxxxx

When they got to the mall, they found Tanaka and went up to him.

"Oh, you two." He said.

"Hello, Tanaka-san." Minako said. "How are things?"

Tanaka made a sound in his throat as he leaned back on the bench he was sitting on. "The other day, a woman came to my office asking for a donation." He began. "She was the kind of girl that men dream of – drop dead gorgeous. I'm sorry to say it, but much prettier than you." He pointed to Minako.

"That's fine, I'm still in my youthful years." She said as this made him chuckle.

"Such an optimist. That's a charming trait for girls like you." He said as his expression changed to that of disgust. "But, no matter how attractive she was, I was repulsed by her dedication to charity work."

"Did you refuse?" Minato asked.

"Of course I did! I hate the very word!" He said as he seemed proud. "Why should I give my hard-earned money to a bunch of freeloaders? I pulled myself up out of squalor to get where I am today! In fact, I've earned the right to laugh at those who used to laugh at me!" He chuckled. "That's what I had always dreamt of." He then calmed down. "But to tell you the truth, now I have too much money. Profits are booming, but I'm so busy I don't have time to spend a dime…" He then looked thoughtful. "Maybe I should train someone to take my place. I could teach them my business philosophy and help them master my management techniques… I could create a carbon copy of me!" He scratched his head. "It would probably cost me a fortune, but if it works, then I could sit back and relax in my massage chair!" He then looked at the twins. "How 'bout it? Want to become my successor? I'll even let you join the Tanaka family… Not just work; I'll even take care of your wedding." He chuckled. "Just kidding… I'm sure you two will obtain something even bigger than my company." He then pointed to them. "If I say it, it's for sure."

The twins smiled at this, feeling warmth and kindness behind those words as they felt their strong bond with the man grow stronger as he told them that he was leaving now and hope to see them again.

"…'Donate to the unfortunate children,' huh…" He said under his breath as he left the mall.

The twins watched him go as they looked at each other. "What do you think, Sissy?"

"I think he'll do it." She said.

"He's right, you're an optimist." He said as they went to the pharmacy to pick up a few items and then headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they got to the dorm, they smelled that something burned and Minako ran into the kitchen to see a pan of burnt cookies, and asked the other girl what happened, told her what she did wrong, and encouraged her that she'll get it next time as Minato placed the items they picked up in various places in the kitchen.

After they cleaned up the kitchen, which wasn't as bad as it could've been, and Minako cut an onion in half.

"Uh… what are you doing?" Fuuka asked, not understanding why Minako would cut an onion in half and leave it out while chopping up the other to make dinner with.

"It's an old folk remedy." Minako said. "Onions are natural absorbers to get air-born bacteria. By tomorrow morning, the onion will take on a black color and be completely inedible, but the kitchen will be mostly air-born bacterium free. It also helps with the overly burned smell here."

"Oh! I had no idea."

"It's an old folk thing, but I've always wanted to try it." Minako said as Minato shook his head. "You wanted to know too!"

"Yeah, but now the kitchen will smell like onions…"

"I know, but kitchen should smell like its being used. But the burned food smell is a lot worse than onion. Which, by the way, both onions and apples actually taste the same, but because of the smell the onion has, you couldn't tell."

"A-Amazing!" Fuuka said as Minato thought she saw flowers appeared around her for a moment out of her amazement. "Do you think we'll be able to substitute an onion with an apple in some dishes?"

"I don't know…" Minako said as she had a thoughtful expression. "It'll definitely be something to try out in the club."

Minato then left before the girls dragged him into being their guinea pig, not that he didn't trust them, he just wasn't in the mood to.

"Dude, what died here?" Junpei asked as he went down the stairs.

"A batch of blackened cookies." Minato said as he mentioned the other to go back upstairs. "Sissy and Fuuka are conducting an experiment."

"Oh…" Junpei as they went back up and the rest of the night was calm until both boys were called to come down by Minako, using Yukari's help to drag them when they resisted and were presented with their dinner, which didn't do too bad.

Once the seniors came in and ate as well, everyone filed up to their rooms and called it a night.

xxxxx

The twins were asleep when they sensed something in their room and heard Pharos.

"Hi." He said as the twins woke up and looked at him. "Can you guess what I'm going to tell you?" He asked as both nodded and he chuckled. "You're used to it by now, huh? The next full moon will be in one week. Are you prepared?"

"Sure are." Minako said with a smile as Minato nodded.

"Be careful, okay? I'll come again." He said as he disappeared, making the twins go back to sleep.


	81. Ep80:Deal,Minako's SecondDate,andDinner

Ep. 80: Deal, Minako's Second Date, and Dinner

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/1-

The next morning, the twins were walking down to the school building when Mitsuru caught up to them.

"Good morning." Mitsuru said. "The full moon is almost upon us… Are you prepared?"

"Totally!" Minako said happily.

"Of course." Minato said, a bit tired, but he managed a confident smile.

"Good. I'm counting on you." She said with a smile. "According to the cycle, it should appear on July seventh at midnight, six days from now. And remember, incident increase when a full moon is near, so remain alert at all times."

"Right." Minako said as Minato nodded his head as they headed to their classroom.

xxxxx

When classes ended for the day, the twins went their separate ways.

Minato went to the science lab room, seeing that the photography club was still a few minutes away as he entered, only to see that Keisuke was alone in the room.

"Maybe I should just quit…" Keisuke said to himself. "The club will be fine without me… And I… I'm not very good at taking photos anyways…"

"Senpai…" Minato said, making the other look up to see him.

"H-Huh!? Minato-kun! Wh-When did you get here!?" Keisuke asked, a bit shocked to see him there. "H-How long were you listening?"

"Are you going to quit?" Minato asked as the other laughed nervously.

"S-So you heard everything, huh?" He said as he seems embarrassed, before calming down with a solemn look. "My dad told me I should quit the Photography Club. He said I need to concentrate on my studies more… I told him that the photograph I submitted was selected to be in the finals… But he just said that I was wasting my time." He then looked angry. "He said that because I'm his only son it's my responsibility to take over the hospital. My dad doesn't care about me! He only cares about his stupid hospital!" His voice raised a bit. "And why does everyone think I'm going to be a doctor!? Just because my dad's a doctor, that doesn't mean I want to be a doctor too! Ugh, I can't take it anymore! I have my own hopes and dreams, you know!"

"Complaining here won't help." Minato said as Keisuke seemed to calm down from that.

"Yeah, you're right… I have to tell my dad how I feel…" He said as he nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right, Minato-kun." He then seem to come up with an idea. "I've got it! I-I'm going to make a bet with my dad! If I don't win the photography contest, then I'll quit the club, just like my dad wants me to. But if I win, then I can do whatever I want! Yep, that's it!" He seems happy the more he spoke. "As soon as I get home I'm going to talk to my dad." He then faced Minato. "P-Please don't tell anyone about this, Minato-kun! I don't want everyone to worry about me quitting the Photography Club, so let's just keep it between us, okay?"

Minato nodded as he felt his bond with the other grow stronger with him opening up his trouble to him as Keisuke patted his shoulder.

"Hey, Minato-kun, could you let everyone know that I won't be at Photography Club today? I'm going home so I can talk to my dad about you-know-what." He said as the other gave him a thumbs up, making him chuckle. "Alright, see ya later, Minato-kun…" With that he left the room.

Minato sighed as he waited for the other club members to come in and told them that Keisuke wasn't able to make it today and participated with the club.

xxx

With Minako, she headed to the mall to get to the Velvet Room to pick up Theodore for their second date and headed over to the Iwatodai Station.

The train ride there wasn't too difficult, even though people stared at the young man, even catching a few whispers questioning if he was some foreign student, even one child asked him if he was an alien.

"And alien? Well, I'm not a civilian of this area if that's what you mean." Theodore said as the mother shushed her child and apologized to him before hurrying off at some other part in the train cart. "Well, that was rather rude of her, but then again mothers are protective of their children around strangers, so I'll ignore her hurried actions."

To say the atmosphere from the onlookers was awkward was an understatement, but Minako simply giggled as she asked if there's a certain place he would like to look at first when they get there when the train stopped at their location.

She led them to the escalator, only to notice that Theodore stopped walking and looked back to see he didn't seem sure about it. "What's wrong Theo?"

"Those stairs… they're moving…" He said. "I-I've heard of this… It's called an escalator, no?"

"That's right." She said as she waited on him, which he seemed to notice and he blushed a bit.

"I shouldn't have any problem riding something like this, should I?" He said, but made no sign that he was going to move onto it, seeming having trouble having timing the moving steps.

"Let me help you." Minako said as she held out her hand.

"I-I can't allow you to do that!" Theodore said, blushing a bit more as he finally moved from his shocked standing position. "I'll… go on ahead." He said as he grabbed her hand. "Please, allow me." And with that he finally got onto the escalator, only to blink in confusion. "This is rather… slow." He said as they reached to the bottom of the escalator and got off it. He looked a bit lost for a moment before smiling proudly. "Hah! Child's play."

Minako could only smile. 'He's pretty adorable when he tries to deny what happened earlier.' She thought as she mentioned about showing him the strip mall and headed over there.

"So this is a strip mall…" Theodore said as he looked around. "A lively place indeed." He then sniffed the air. "This smell… No, no, don't tell me…" With that he ran off.

"Theo!" Minako called out as she was momentarily impressed at how fast he ran before chasing after him.

"Whoa, you can figure out our secret ingredient just by its smell?" Said the takoyaki cook as Minako caught up. "How 'bout it? Wanna buy one? I'll make you smile so wide, your cheeks will fall off!"

"So good as to make one's cheeks fall off!?" Theodore said, surprised by this. "That… would be dire indeed!"

Minako placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's just a metaphor, Theo." She said with a smile.

"Eh?" He said as he blushed. "O-Of course. As if such a thing could possibly happen…"

Minako can see he was still wary at the thought as she bought a box of them and mentioned him to sit next to her on the nearby bench and shared the takoyaki, which he took one whole in his mouth, shocking her, knowing how hot it would be.

"Ninety-seven degrees Fahrenheit…" He said as he chewed. "And this texture… There's no mistaking it…" He nodded.

"Alright, out with it." She said teasingly.

He looked at her as he held his head up, closed his eyes, and waved his pointer finger as if conducting an orchestra. " 'There are things your kind is better off not knowing'." He said as he looked back down to her and smiled knowingly. "So I've been taught, which means… I mustn't…" He then picked up another takoyaki and lifted it up to his face. "But using THAT for cooking… It's apparent now why one's cheeks might fall off." He then gasped and pinched his cheeks before looking over to her and pinched her cheeks. "Yours seem to be in no danger." He released her cheek, making her rub on her mildly abused cheek. "Thank goodness…"

"Thanks…?" She said, knowing he didn't mean to hurt her.

"If anything were to happen to you… You are, after all, a valued guest." He said as he noticed her cheek was red from the pinch. "That hurt, didn't it? I'm so sorry." He said as he stroked her cheek.

"It's fine. Just caught me off guard." She said with a smile as she picked up another takoyaki, only to look at the other. "Is it safe for me to eat, whatever's in here?"

"Oh, yes. It's an unusual ingredient, but it's quite nutritional."

"As long as it won't make me sick." She said as she popped it in, the balls cooled off enough to do so.

xxxxx

Once they were done with the takoyaki, they were about to continue going around the strip mall when the takoyaki cook called Theodore over and gave him a takoyaki phone charm.

"Well now, isn't this charming?" Theodore said as he seemed happy to receive something. "Would this be considered… a souvenir of my time with you?" He chuckled. "How unfortunate… I've acquired something precious to me." He looked to her. "It's your fault, you realize." He lifted the charm for her to see. "That's why I won't let you have this." They both laugh at this as she showed him around the strip mall, showing him different places the place has to offer before they headed back to the station.

"Thank you for showing me such a delightful time today." He said as he looked around the strip mall once more. "The flow of time is fixed at a certain speed… And yet it seems there are moments when it passes so quickly." He then noticed the car was heading out and they were in the way. "Oh, that car's-" He moved Minako out of the way and they went back onto the side walk as the car continued its way. "You mustn't allow yourself to become so lost in thought." He looked both ways before holding out his arm. "Now, let us go."

With that, they made their way back to the Velvet Room, where Theodore thanked her, left the Velvet Room, where she saw her brother heading into the café to work, said a quick good night to him and headed to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Where have you been?" Akihiko asked as she entered the dorm.

"Hello Akihiko-senpai." She said. "I was showing a friend around the strip mall."

"Ah, I think I saw him. Tall guy with a dark blue suit?"

"That's Theodore." She said. "He and his sister moved in the area not too long ago, but they're homeschooled so they're not used to our customs."

"I see… Well, you know about the full moon on July seventh, right?" He asked as she nodded. "That means it's going to be a Star Festival special bout."

"Oh right! Star Festival is on that day isn't it?" She said as the senior nodded. "I completely forgot about that."

"We have been busy, so it's no surprise." He said as Minato and Fuuka walked in.

"Welcome back!" Minako said happily as Minato smiled in kind and asked how her day was before she seemed pumped up to do some cooking.

"Really? You cooked last night…" Minato said as Minako grabbed Fuuka.

"It's good practice for me and Fuuka! We have to make sure you guys have a good meal to keep up." She said as she and Fuuka entered the kitchen.

"Practice for when we have to battle again or to be a housewife?" Minato said.

"She does make a good cook." Akihiko said, making Minato look at him.

"Don't get any ideas."

"Huh?" Akihiko said as he looked at the other as he left. "The hell was that about?" He was lost on what the junior meant and shook his head as he continued working on repairing his glove.

xxxxx

Sometime later, Minako came out with an apron, asked Akihiko to gather everyone down, and helped Fuuka set the table to get dinner started.

"Man, you guys did a great job!" Junpei said as he asked for seconds.

"Minako-chan did most of it…" Fuuka said as she seemed depressed.

"Don't look down, you're still learning and improving." Minako said. "I've been cooking a bit before coming here."

"That's the truth." Minato said as he held out his plate for seconds. "Please, dear Sissy?" This earned him a giggle from his sister and an "aww" from Yukari.

"You can be so adorable when you want to be, Minato-kun." Yukari teased as Minato blushed.

"You did brought that on yourself, Brother dear." Minako said with a giggle.

"I know…" He said as he ate his second share.

"I'll give you one thing…" Yukari said. "It's good you like to cook and have the energy for it."

"I was just in the mood to." She said. "I'm just really glad we still have some of that sesame oil, otherwise I would have to use a different kind of agent for flavor. Which reminds me, I have to get some more tomorrow."

"Man, Ko-tan! You sound like a housewife!" Junpei said as he laughed.

"One that can knock you flat on your back." Minato pointed out as Akihiko nodded in agreement.

"That's cold you two… so cold…"

"It's truly a treat when you do cook, Minako-chan." Mitsuru said with a smile as she placed down her chopsticks onto her empty plate. "It's nice to have a meal that is made with all of us in mind."

Minako blushed as she thanked the senior.

"She has a point there." Akihiko said as he helped himself with his own second helping. "It's not every day we can eat together like this."

"Yeah you're right." Junpei said. "The only times we're actually together like this when we're in Tartarus, but we're fighting there, so there's not a lot of good times to just talk like this."

"Wow, for once you made a point." Yukari said.

"Always the ball buster, aren't you?"

"Now you two, this isn't a good time to fight." Minako said. "Otherwise I'll enforce my leadership to order both of you to do tasks together."

"Please do." Minato said. "You cooked and someone has to clean the mess."

"I was going to volunteer!" Junpei said. "I know Yuka-tan won't because she doesn't want to get her hands wet."

"Excuse me!?"

"That's enough!"

The rest of the evening was a bit active before it grew late and everyone settled for the night.


	82. Episode 81: The Devil Arcana

Ep. 81: The Devil Arcana

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/2-

The next day went on as normal for the twins as the last class of the day dismissed them and Minako found Fuuka, who seemed a bit down, and headed over to the Home Economics room. Which they heard an announcement for Chihiro and Minato.

"Minato-kun's in trouble?" Fuuka asked.

"This is Mitsuru asking for them, I don't think it's something we should worry. Toto-nii can handle it." She said as she noticed the cook book. "Know what to make today?"

"Umm…" Fuuka said as she picked up the recipe book. "What should we make today?" She started to flip a few pages as she looked depressed.

"Fuuka-chan? Is everything okay?"

"Oh… Sorry." Fuuka said as she sighed "I keep messing up…"

"Fuuka-chan, you'll get it…"

"It's not a problem with how I make the recipe… How do I put this?" Fuuka said as she placed the book down. "While I'm making it, I start thinking that it's not going to come out right anyway…" She looked up to see Minako. "I'm always like that. It's like, I'm bad at imagining things in a positive way… I keep imagining that nothing is going to go right…" She then looked down at the open book, only to close it. "If only there was something I was actually good at…"

Minako didn't like to see the other this depressed as she looked at the oven and remembered when the other girl flawlessly figured out how to set the oven. "You're good with machines." She said.

"I'm surprised you remembered." Fuuka said with a bit of a smile. "But that's just something that I like. It's not something I can be proud of…" She seems embarrassed when she said this as she looked nostalgic. "When I was young, it was my dad's hobby to work on complicated music equipment… He'd fix things like broken amplifiers and headphones where one side would be broken." She smiled a bit more of the memory. "I loved watching him working on those things when I was little… That's… probably why I became good with machines. But, I don't think I could use machines to repay everyone's kindness. When we really need help with fighting or technology, we have the Kirijo group's support… I want to find something that only I can do… Something that people would rely on me for…"

Minako smiled as she gave the girl a thumbs up. "Good luck! I know you'll find it."

Fuuka giggled, seems to be cheered up. "Thanks. I'm glad you are our leader. And Minato as well, but I feel I can talk to you more."

"We're both girls, its part of our stereotypical trait." Minako said as they both laughed at this.

"Oh, we should make something before it gets too late." Fuuka said as she looked thoughtful as she opened the book. "If we want to make something that we can take back to everyone, I think cookies would be best." She opened the cookie section of the book.

"Great! Let's make the sugar cookies then, it doesn't take a lot of ingredients and we'll be done before we have to leave." Minako said as they were set to work as she did her batch in less than an half an hour before she put her cookie cut shaped cookies onto the pan. "Done!"

"Huh? Minako-chan, are you done already?" Fuuka said as Minako turned to see that Fuuka's hands and legs were covered in flour. "I'm still measuring the flour…"

Minako didn't really want to stay in the room longer than they had to and insisted that she help the other girl as she started working.

"Huh? You're putting the flour in this basket? But it's falling out of the bottom."

"It helps to get the right amount and loosen up any clumps that the flour might have." Minako explained as she got the butter out and demonstrated how to melt the butter.

"Oh, so THAT'S how you melt butter quickly!" Fuuka said, sounding amazed as Minako single handedly saved the dough from Fuuka's attempts, cut the shapes up, placed them on the pan next to hers, and waited until they were done.

Minako took them out when they were done and sighed in relief that they all turned out all okay.

"It came out right…" Fuuka said as she giggled. "That's amazing, it came out right. It wouldn't have happened if you weren't here. But it actually came out right! For the first time ever, something I cooked actually tastes good!"

Minako felt good seeing the other so happy, a bit of confidence can be seen in the girl as she felt that her bond with her has gotten a bit stronger, but it was still a bit fragile as Fuuka calmed down.

"Then again, you pretty much did everything, I caused you all this trouble again… like last night."

"Hey, cooking is a really big learning process. Even I messed up a lot when I started cooking." Minako said. "Just ask Toto-nii! Be sure to ask him about the pie I tried to make when I was seven. You'll be shocked to hear what he'll tell you. Because I won't tell!"

"But I'm the one that wants to help you…" Fuuka said as she sighed. "Anyways, I'll try harder next time." She said as she and Minako started to clean up and head out of the school to get to the dorm.

xxx

With Minato, he wanted to make sure Chihiro was okay and found her at the main lobby, looking as if she had a death sentence when there was an announcement.

"Attention please. Sophomore Fushimi Chihiro and Junior Arisato Minato… The Student Council President would like to speak with you. Please go to the Student Council Room immediately. I repeat again…"

"The President wants to speak with me?" Chihiro said as she seemed nervous. "D-Don't tell me the President thinks I stole the money too!?"

"Don't worry, she'll help us." He said as this caused Chihiro to calm down a bit.

"R-Right… She will, won't she?" Chihiro asked hopefully. "If I talk to her, at least I won't have to trouble you anymore, Minato-san…" With that they headed to the Student Council Room.

xxxxx

"Good, you two are here." Mitsuru said as she was the only one in the room, which made things easier with Chihiro. "I apologize for the sudden announcement. The reason I called you here is-"

"Y-You think I-I stole the money…" Chihiro said, visibly shaking a bit.

"Fushimi… I'd like to hear the whole story directly from you." Mitsuru said, which shocked Chihiro.

"Uh… um… I… I…" She looked to see the boy beside her. "Minato-san…"

He made eye contact with her, but didn't say anything as he smiled and nodded to her, which she seemed to get the message.

"Thank you, Minato-san… I… can do this myself…" She said as she seems proud of herself as she looked at Mitsuru. "I… I… I…" Her lips were trembling as the realization hit her that Mitsuru is the President of the Student Council she was speaking to.

"It's okay, Fushimi." Mitsuru said in a calm and reasonable voice. "It's not necessarily someone who's good at counting money who make the best Treasurer… I prefer someone who will work diligently, without complaining. From what I've seen in Student Council, Fushimi, it's obvious that you didn't take the money."

"Th-Thank you… President-san…" Chihiro said as she seemed relieved.

"I was just testing you. In a situation like this, I'm afraid you have to prove your innocence." Mitsuru said as she was serious. "Do you think you can do that?"

"It-It's difficult to say this…" Chihiro started, "and I-I-I'll probably regret it, b-but…" She held her head down. "I-I don't think I can… do it…"

Mitsuru went up to the girl and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Never be embarrassed of who you are. Allow me to take care of it… It's my responsibility as Student Council President." She said as she looked over to Minato. "Give me a hand, will you, Arisato?"

"Alright." He said.

"I'd like to know more about Chihiro, and I've seen you two together after school. I want to prove to show who suspect her that even outside of school she behaves respectably." She said as she placed her hand down from the girl's shoulder and turned to fully face Minato. "Arisato, I'll leave tonight open. Come to my room when you're free. Try not to be seen by anyone."

This seemed to surprise Chihiro as she looked up at the two. "P-Please… wait! Th-That means…" She said as the two looked at her. "Y-You two will be meeting alone?"

"I don't want to make things worse." Mitsuru explained. "Even in the dorm, there are students who spread rumors-"

"N-No! That's unacceptable! I won't let you do it!"

This surprised the two students as Mitsuru spoke. "Fushimi?"

"Get away from him!" Chihiro said as her voice raised. "There's no way I'll agree to that! If I can clear my name, it won't be necessary, right!?" She then rushed out of the room. "I'm going to talk to the teacher!"

"Fushimi!" Mitsuru called.

"Let's go!" Minato said as they rushed over to the Faculty Office, where they found Chihiro facing the teacher, who sat at his chair with a surprised expression.

"I clearly remember what happened that day!" Chihiro said as she pointed to her chin. "You had a bandage on your chin because you cut yourself while shaving! I handed the fee money to you directly! Do you expect me to just pretend that never happened!?"

Mitsuru went up to the girl. "Calm down, Fushimi!

"Please explain! Or else…" Her voice softened with the coming of a sob when the teacher waved his hand in front of him.

"S-Sorry! It's all my fault…"

"Or else someone important to me will-… Huh?"

"That day, I had to stay late, and I missed my train." The teacher explained. "I didn't have money on me, so…" He looked guilty. "I used what you collected to pay for a taxi."

"What!?" Chihiro said, reflecting the expression as the other two in the room.

"I fully intended to return the money, but then I forgot." He chuckled nervously. "I must be getting old, huh?"

"It-It's not funny!" Chihiro said.

"Don't worry. I'll explain to the class what happened and return the money." The teacher said as he placed both hands in front of him. "So, please forgive me, Fushimi!"

Mitsuru took a deep breath as she calmed herself. "I assumed it was just a misunderstanding, but…" She glared at the teacher, who gulped. Apparently all the teachers feared her due to what happened to Mr. Edoka. "This is inexcusable! You call yourself a teacher!? Misappropriation of public funds is a serious crime. I will report this immediately!"

"Please don't…" The teacher said, beads of sweat starting to appear.

"It's okay, Mitsuru-san…" Chihiro said softly. "If that's the case, then I'll…" She turned and looked at Minato. "Let's go, Minato-san." With that the two left the office and she led him up to the school rooftop.

xxxxx

Once they were on the rooftop, Chihiro ran over to one side of the gated surrounding. "Minato-san, over here!" She said as she mentioned him over to where she stood, sounding giddy. "Can you believe I went to the Faculty Office and said all that? I even surprised myself!" She then started to laugh.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked, knowing that the mystery was solved and her name is cleared.

"Oh, nothing…" She said with a giggle as she seems to be happy, rightfully so. "Remember what I said to Mitsuru-san? 'Get away from him!'" She giggled as he nodded. "I-I was worried what might happen if you and Mitsuru-san were alone together… I was so flustered I almost passed out… I'm pretty weird, huh?" She looked up. "I've been like that ever since I was a kid, or so my mother says. Normally, I'm quiet and timid, but when it comes to something I care about, then I become aggressive." She blushed a bit. "I've been talking to my mother about you, Minato-san… and she wants to meet you…" She looked to him. "Would you like to come over to my house one day? You know, when you're not busy?"

Minato nodded as he can sense that she confessed how she felt about him as he felt his strong bond with her become more so as Chihiro seemed to realize something.

"Oh! I still have to apologize to Mitsuru-san… and, um, I think I owe her an explanation." She said with a blush. "Excuse me." She then took off, leaving him to sit down on the bench and sighed.

"How did it get like this?" He said to himself before he got back up again and made his way out of the school to head back to the dorm, only to catch his sister and they made their way to the mall.

xxxxx

Once they made it over there, they found Tanaka, who was sitting on the bench, looking at a piece of paper in his hand, with a look of indifference.

"Hey there." Minako said, which caused him to look up.

"Oh, hey you two." He said.

"What's wrong?" Minato asked.

"I've decided to make a donation." The man said, which the twins needed a quick moment to make sure they weren't day dreaming. "She's raising money to help orphans in foreign countries." He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't look at it as a donation so much as an investment." He looked to see the twins weren't getting it. "Let me explain… Children who learn to cope with adversity are more likely to become rich and famous, like me." He said with a proud smile. "I'm thinking of donating ten million yen. Not a corporate donation, but a private one."

'That's generous even for a private donation.' Minato thought.

"When I told them over the phone, they sent me this." He handed the piece of paper he hand in his hand, in which Minako took it from him and the twins saw it was a thank-you letter. "I received it the very next day. Now, I can't back out…" He chuckled. "Ten million yen is nothing to me, though. Once those children grow up and become successful, I'll introduce myself to them. I'll say, 'I'm the one who made all this possible!' Then, I'll be well taken care of in my old age!" He then looked at the two. "This idea probably would not have occurred to me if it wasn't for our conversations… By talking to you two, I seem to have developed an interest in watching others mature…I thank you for that." He said sincerely when he chuckled. "Actually, I should be thanking myself… for wisely noticing this."

The twins knew the man truly appreciates what has happened in their talks. "You're welcome, Tanaka-san…" The twins said as they felt their bond with the man become unbreakable, causing a certain emotion to come up in their chest, like an explosion warming and shaking their very souls.

The man obviously didn't notice this as he chuckled. "Yes, yes." He looked at them as he pointed to the piece of paper in Minako's hands. "You can keep that letter."

"Are you sure?"

"I worked myself to the bone to earn that money, and all I get in return is a piece of paper? Course I'm sure!" He laughed as he calmed down. "But it's not a bad feeling…" He then cleared this throat. "Right! I'm going now. The paparazzi could be anywhere. If any of them were to find out, my plan would be ruined." He was about to leave when he stopped. "Oh, by the way…" He looked to the two. "I've decided to cancel the exclusive modeling contract we discussed. You two are better off being a diamond in the rough. No one needs to polish you; you'll shine on your own. When you do, everyone will take notice." He turned to face the exit. "I'll look forward to that day. Tootaloo!" And with that he left.

"Well, that was something…" Minato said as he looked at his sister, who had tears running down her face. "Sissy? What's wrong?"

"I don't know… I… I just felt like crying…" She said as she wiped her tears away. "When I felt that… I just wanted to cry…"

Minato wrapped his arm around her as she continued to cry until her eyes were red and dry from any more tears. "Let's get you to a restroom. I'll get the stuff." He said as they parted ways for a short time and headed back to the dorm to enjoy a settle evening.


	83. Ep82: Coming Clean, and Kenji's Problem

Ep. 82: Coming Clean and Kenji's Problem

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/3-

The next morning the twins headed to the school gates when they overheard the usual two gossip students talking.

"Hey, listen to this." Said the usual gossip lover. "Last time I was out with my boyfriend, he was heading to Shirakawa Boulevard!"

"Whoa, Shirakawa Boulevard? Ewww…" Said the other girl as she shivered. "I know what was on his mind!"

"We've just started dating, but I'm already kind of disgusted. He's got such a dirty mind… Maybe I should dump him. I don't want to be the subject of one of those rumors that goes, 'A couple was found unconscious…'"

Her friend laughed at this. "That'd be great!"

With that the first warning bell rang out and the twins rushed to the building to get to their classes.

xxxxx

The classes of the day ended and started the afterschool activities as the twins parted ways to get to their athletics clubs.

Minako found Rio on her way to the girl's locker rooms to change for tennis, but noticed that Rio seemed a bit out of it. "Rio? Everything okay?" She asked as she took off her school uniform shirt.

"Oh, what was that? I wasn't listening." Rio said as she got her skirt on when Minako placed her hand on her forehead. "Huh?"

"You're not coming down with something other than love sickness, are you?" Minako asked as she brought her hand back down to her side, while her other hand held her tennis shirt.

"I'm fine, really." Rio said as she took off her school top.

"If you're sure…" She said as she dressed up for tennis and followed Rio out to the field where the other girls are ready to begin the practice.

Sometime during practice, the first group was done with a warm-up and one member asked Rio if they should start practicing serves, but Rio was in a daze.

"Rio." Minako said, bringing the other girl back to the present.

"Oh… Sorry, what was that?"

"Geez…" Said a member as she moved up her glasses. "You haven't been concentrating at all, Rio!"

"Huh? S-Sorry…"

"We're not getting anything done like this." Said another member. "I mean, if you're not gonna act like your normal self, this might be the worst club at this school."

"Look who's talking." Said the other girl as she dully glared at the other girl, as they glared at each other.

"C-C'mon, don't fight…" Rio said.

"We're not fighting, you dope! Pay attention!" Said a member as she sighed. "It's because of Kenji, isn't it? You haven't gotten over him."

"Yeah, she's right." Said the girl as she moved her glasses. "C'mon! Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? It's got to be better than moping around."

"You mean… I should go tell him that I like him?" Rio said as she looked to Minako, looking confused and wanting direction.

Minako smiled understandingly. "This is your decision." She said as Rio looked to the ground.

"My decision…" She said to herself as she paused for a moment. "I… I feel like I'm stuck in one place… And I can't move an inch…" She lifted her head up. "I hate that about myself, too… But I don't know what to do about it." She chuckled a bit, almost sadly. "I know that I'm going to be hurt, and it scares me… But it has to be better than where I am right now." She smiled. "I'm sure it won't be as bad as drowning in these feelings I have…" She then looks determined. "I'm… gonna go tell him."

Minako nodded. "That's the spirit!"

"Yeah, I'll do my best!" Rio said as she smiles happily. "Well then… I'll be back!"

This surprised a lot of the girls. "Huh? You're going now?" One member said as Rio darts off, leaving everyone in a stupor as Yuko came up.

"Hi, I'm here about the club's funding forms, but…" Yuko started to say when she saw them looking stumped. "What's the matter?" She looked to Minako. "Minako-chan?"

"Well…" Minako said as she explained the turn of events. "And then you came up."

"S-Seriously?" Yuko said, sounding surprised. "You think she'll be okay?"

"I have faith she'll be okay, but what do you guys say?" Minako asked.

"Let's go see!" Yuko said as she grabbed Minako's wrist, dragging her as she and everyone ran to find Rio, which didn't take long as they were at the door where it leads to the outside hallway where they peeked through the small opening of the door to see Rio and Kenji there.

"So… Wh-What do you think about me?" Rio asked as Kenji stood there, looking a bit confused.

"Uh… like family?"

"D-Do you like me!?" Rio said.

"Huh? Yeah?"

"That guy's hopeless…" Whispered a member as they watched on.

"Hang in there, Rio…" Yuko whispered.

Minako was curious about this as she was rooting for Rio.

"H-How much do you like me!?" Rio asked, seeming determined about the boy's level of affection to her.

"Uh… About as much as ramen?" Kenji answered in which Yuko busted the doors open, looking ticked.

"RAMEN!? Are you serious!?"

"Whoa, what the-!?" Kenji said as he was taken aback by that as another member came out behind Yuko.

"You've got some nerve, Kenji!"

"Huh?" He said as another member came out as well.

"What the hell are you telling her!? I'm going to smack that goofy look off your face!"

Minako stayed back, remembering something about Kenji that her brother told her. 'Didn't Toto-nii say that Kenji is practically a nerd when it comes to ramen?' She thought.

Kenji was lost, that much was clear as he started to laugh nervously. "Uhh… I-I've got some business to take care of! Ladies…" He said as he made a speeding getaway.

"Seriously… That moron!" Yuko said, angry at how things went.

"Y-You guys…" Rio said, surprised to see them. "You were listening?"

"Ugh… Sorry." Yuko said as the members also seem guilty. "We were all worried about you! Well, except Minako-chan, she says you would do okay. B-But try and cheer up." She then looked mad again as she looked to where Kenji run off too. "But, sheesh! What the hell was that idiot thinking, comparing you to something like a bowl of noodles!?"

"No, you don't get it…" Rio said. "Ramen is his favorite thing in the world."

"No kidding?" Yuko said as Minako nodded.

"I remember Toto-nii telling me that whenever they go out to eat, they always go for ramen."

Rio smiled happily. "If he likes me as much as he likes ramen, I'll be happy."

"Geez… You dope!" Yuko said, not getting the logic that Rio came up with.

"Huh!? Why do you look like you're about to cry, Yuko?" Rio asked as she was worried.

"I don't know!" Yuko said as Minako placed a hand on her shoulder. "Minako-chan…"

"Don't worry so much Yuko, Rio is a tough gal. Am I right?" Minako said as she looked to see Rio, who seemed like a weight was off her shoulders.

"Minako…" Rio said with the biggest, purest smile. "Thanks for giving me that extra push I needed." She said as she laughed, making Minako laugh as well.

"I didn't do much though!" She said as she can see that her friend was looking so much better than before as she felt her strong bond with her grow a bit stronger as they finally calmed down.

"Well, why don't we call today's practice over and go to Wuck?" Rio said as everyone agreed to that.

"Sounds like a plan." Said a member as she pointed to Rio. "Tell you what, Rio: I'm buyin' you a milkshake."

Rio laughed as she nodded. "Awesome!"

"I have to get back to the track team. But next time!" Yuko said.

"Tell Toto-nii I said 'hi', okay?"

"Will do!" She said as she headed out.

With the tennis club members quickly changed and headed out of the school to get to the eatery.

xxx

With Minato, he went to the practice field where he was giving it everything he's got, but also kept an eye out for Kazushi.

"Yuko sure is taking her time…" Kazushi said as he and Minato were taking a break. "Wasn't your sister in tennis club?"

"Yeah, she is." He said as he drank his water. "I don't even see them over there anymore." They looked over at the field and saw that the tennis court there was bare of life.

"Wonder what happened?" He asked when Yuko appeared. "Oh, there's Yuko. Maybe she'll know what's going on."

Yuko ran up and took a breather as Minato gave her a water bottle, which she thanked him for and took a drink.

"Easy there, you'll get sick if you drink too fast." Kazushi said.

"I'm okay." She said as she was now breathing normally. "Sorry it took me so long. Did I miss anything?"

"Nope." The two said when the Coach went out onto the field.

"Kazushi!" The Coach called out, not sounding or looking pleased about something.

"Wh-What is it, Coach?" Kazushi said, feeling a bit scared due to the man's expression. "You have a scary look on your face…"

"What do you think you're doing!?" The coach said.

"J-Just practicing, Coach…" He said, not sure what to do or think in this situation.

"That's enough practicing for you." The coach said as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder and mentioned the direction behind him. "Come to the Nurse's Office." He looked at everyone else. "The rest of you, get back to work!"

"The Nurse's Office…?" Asked one junior varsity member.

"Kazushi, did something happen?" Asked a varsity member.

Kazushi looked down to the ground, knowing that this was the moment he hoped to avoid. "Yeah, right…" And with that he followed the coach off the track field.

"I knew it." Yuko said. "He's such a bad liar. You can totally tell he's favoring his one knee." She then looked down to Minato. "I know you have something to do with this, Minato-kun." She mentioned him to follow. "Sorry, but follow me." And with that they made their way to the Nurse's Office, where they caught the coach, Mr. Edogawa, and Kazushi in the room with the junior boy sitting on a chair.

"I just spoke to your mom about your knee." The coach said with his arms crossed.

"You're throwing caution to the wind, young man…" Mr. Edogawa said, looking concerned.

Kazushi looked away, seemingly frustrated. "That blabbermouth!"

"I want you to quit before things get any worse, okay?" Said the coach, making Kazushi look up, shocked.

"P-Please, I need to practice…"

"Kaz…" Yuko said as she and Minato entered the room, hearing enough from when they arrived.

"Yuko! Minato too!?" Kazushi said, surprised to see them there.

"Take some time off, Kaz." Yuko said. "Practice can wait until you're fully healed."

"No! I don't have time!" Kazushi said, looking desperate.

"Huh? What's your hurry? Don't be so rash!" Yuko said, not understanding what was wrong with the other.

"Minato," Said the coach as he looked at the mentioned junior "you've been hanging around with Kazushi lately, right? You must know something…"

Minato knew lying wasn't going to help either of them as he looked down. 'Sorry Kaz…' He thought.

"Minato…" Kazushi said quietly as he spoke up. "W-Wait! This doesn't concern him!" He said as he looked guilty. "I don't want you to get dragged into this… so I'll come clean."

Minato nodded as he felt his bond with the other grow even stronger as Kazushi took a deep breath.

"To tell the truth, I…" Kazushi started as he explained to his coach what his reason for hiding his pain for as long as he did. "So, that's the gist of it." He said as he finished explaining. "I need to practice! I have to win or else…"

"I know how you feel, Kazushi, but…" The coach said.

"So, that's why." Said another voice as a few of the track team members entered the office. "I don't mind if he competes at regionals." Said the junior varsity member. "If it's just the individual competition, then I don't have to worry about him bringing us down."

"Why are you here?" The coach asked, a bit surprised to see them.

"I'm worried about Kazushi…" Said the varsity member.

"Guys…" Kazushi said, not sure what else to say as the coach sighed.

"I'll let you keep training for now, and we'll see how things go…" He said as he looked at Kazushi seriously and with concern "but if I tell you to stop, I'm sorry, but you'll have to listen. And, I want you to go home today. Your mother will be upset if I let you stay."

"S-Sorry, Coach. Everyone… I…" Kazushi started to say as he stopped, not sure how to continue as he started to sound choked up.

"We're done here; now, get back to training, everyone."

Everyone started to file out, except for Minato as he mentioned to Yuko he'll be with them in a bit as he went up to Kazushi as he stood up from where he was sitting.

"You okay getting home?" He asked.

"I'm fine Minato… You be sure to practice for the both of us, okay?"

"Yeah…" He said as they parted ways as he continued practicing until it was over and he was heading back to the dorm.

xxxxx

On his way there, Kenji came up to him, asking him to come with him somewhere and that he needed to talk to somebody. He can see the other wasn't his usual self and agreed as they headed over to Naganaki Shrine, where they were the only ones there. He waited for the other to start, but Kenji looked as if he was debating something.

"H-Hey, man… S-Sorry I asked you to come here…" Kenji said as he seemed to be struggling with something. "I, um… Oh, never mind…"

"Are you in trouble?" Minato asked as Kenji sighed.

"R-Right… I-I…" He said as he started to calm down. "D-Dude! I-I don't know what to do!"

"What happened?"

"Well, the whole school knows about me and Emiri! It's a huge scandal…" Kenji said as he shook his head. "I just learned this today, but Emiri is being transferred to a school in Kyushu…" He looked up to the other. "Wh-What should I do, dude?"

Minato was a bit confused by this, since he hasn't heard of a rumor like that, and something that big would be whispered loudly that he could hear it even with music playing when he wears his headphones. "You should talk to her." He said, maybe there was more to the story that neither of them are getting.

"Yeah, man, that's what I thought!" Kenji nodded in agreement before looking down. "But she's, like, totally avoiding me…" He sighed. "It's like, all of a sudden, she won't take my phone calls or reply to my text messages..." He looked back up to the other. "She's probably only doing this to protect me, but still…" He looks as though he was about to cry. "I can't just sit here and do nothing…" He started to shake a bit. "I gotta think of a plan… I need your help, dude…"

Minato knew the other trusted his troubles to him as he could feel his bond with the other grow stronger as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "Sleep on it tonight, you'll think of something. That's the Kenji I know."

Kenji nodded as he wiped away the tears that tried to get out. "Yeah… Later, dude. Thanks for the talk…" He said as they left the shrine and Kenji headed home while Minato watched him go.

Minato sighed as he heard a whine and looked down to see Koromaru. "Hey boy…" He said as he petted the dog's head. "I have friends with big problems… I wonder if Sissy has problems like this with her own friends?" He patted the dog's head and said his good night to him. "You be a good boy now. See you around."

Koromaru barked, as if saying that he should do the same.

xxx

Back in the dorm, Minako came in, only to be asked where's she'd been by Akihiko, which made her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Akihiko asked.

"You always ask that question whenever me and Toto-nii come in." She said as she noticed that everyone but her brother were in the lounge area. "Something going on?"

"Yeah, I'll say!" Junpei said. "You probably have heard, Shadows are attacking couples now."

"Couples? Oh, the couples that are found unconscious."

"That's right! I bet you my room key that they're all just jealous." Junpei said as the Chairman chuckled at this.

"Why do you say that?" She asked, not getting what the other was implying.

Junpei studied her as he shook his head. "You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?"

"Obviously…" She said.

"Such a pure mind." The Chairman said as Junpei shook his head.

"Then I won't explain it. Your brother will kill me if I did."

"Huh?" She said as she shook her head. "I'm not going to press it." She said as she looked to see Yukari was at the dining table alone again.

"So how did your day go?" Mitsuru asked.

"Oh, it went great!" She said. "And yourself?"

"I actually had to give the teachers and staff members a good lecturing early this morning before school started. Reminding them of their responsibilities as being role models for the students if they were to have any kind of respect to the students and being held accountable if they were to misguidedly wrong a student from their own follies."

"I'm guessing something happened again after Edoka-san's cover up of Fuuka-chan's MIA."

"Yes." She said as she sighed. "And it seems Edoka-san isn't going to take me lecturing him lightly it seems. He's been calling my father and complaining about my behavior."

"But you were in the right though! Just because he's older and has more schooling doesn't make him have superiority over you!" Minako said as Mitsuru chuckled.

"I'm happy to hear that, but don't worry too much." She said calmly as she continued reading.

"If you say so." She said as she mentioned about studying and was about to head up when she figured she'd bring Yukari along. "Hey, Yukari-chan, wanna study with me?"

"Huh? Oh, s-sorry… I wasn't really focusing."

"I can tell." Minako said as she offered her hand out to her. "Come on! Let's go to your room to study. I need help in math, and you need some help with science, right?"

"Uh… yeah…" Yukari said as she gathered her stuff and they headed up.

"Boy… Yuka-tan has been kinda out of it for a while." Junpei said as Fuuka turned off her computer. "You heading up as well?"

"Yes I am. I have to wake up early to take a picture for Photography Club." Fuuka said as she headed up the stairs.

"Oh, okay." He said as Minato walked in. "S'up dude?"

"Ceiling." He said dully.

"Smartass."

"Is Sissy in?"

"Yeah, she and Yuka-tan went upstairs to study."

"Which room?"

"Yuka-tan's…"

"Good, that means we can study too."

"Huh?"

"Might as well do that." Akihiko said.

"Oh, he doesn't have to." The Chairman said. "He can stay here with us while I tell you my latest jokes."

"I do need to study!" Junpei said as he got up. "I remember him saying that if I don't do well in the next test, I'll be spending the Dark Hour studying." He then went up to Minato. "Come on man! We better get down to it!" He said as they went up the stairs.

"Oh well, that's a shame." The Chairman said as he sighed. "And it's a pretty good one if I say so myself. And, no offense to you two, but you two are a tough crowd to please."

"We're sorry to hear that." Akihiko said but not really meaning it.

"Some jokes just don't click with me." Mitsuru said as she didn't look up from her book.

"Well, I'll be taking those recordings and be on my way."

"Have a good night." Akihiko said as the man picked up the envelope before leaving the dorm. "That was close…"

"Indeed…" Mitsuru said as she closed her book. "I should rest for the night. Since it's clear we won't be leaving here tonight."

"Yeah." He said as he yawned. "Not that I'm able to do so."

"You're normally not tired by this time."

"Been a busy week for me." He said as he sighed. "I somehow made one of my teacher's pissed at me and had to do some more things to work on. But now I don't have to worry about that."

"What did you do?"

"Threatened one of my classmates."

"Why would you do that!?"

"Remember that rumor thing between me, Minako-chan, and Junpei?" She nodded. "One of the guys was talking crap about her, and I punched the wall."

"A wall?"

"I missed his face." He said, but he didn't really mean 'missed' as the defined word implies.

"I see…" She said with a sigh. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that, but next time please come talk to me when something like that happens. The last thing we need is you mending from another broken bone."

Akihiko looked at the other with a dull glare. "I'm never going to live that down, am I?"

Mitsuru grinned. "Not while I'm still alive." And with that she left the room.

Akihiko sighed as he looked down at his glove. "It was justified though… The guy's always asking for it… He just went too far this time…" He said as he put his repair kit away and headed up to his room.


	84. Episode 83: A Child's Plan

Ep.83: A Child's Plan

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/4-

The twins woke up early in the morning to head over to school when they saw Yukari and Minako called out a good morning to her, in which she stopped to look back to them and waved back to the other junior girl as she waited for them to come up.

"Mornin'." She said. "You know, soon it'll be a full moon. Are you guys nervous?"

The twins looked at each other before looking back to her. "Not really." They said in unison, making the girl blink.

"Seriously?" She said as she shook her head. "I don't know whether I should be impressed or concerned about you two…"

"Concerned." Minato said as he was elbowed by his sister.

"We're leaders, Toto-nii. We'll be fine when the full moon comes." She said with her head held up high. "Besides! I've got a good feeling about this one! And we're gonna be taking names!"

"You've hung out with Junpei way too much…" Minato said dully.

"Oh you love him too! Don't deny it!"

Yukari grinned as she looked at the two. "Okay, okay, enough Leaders. We have to get to class."

"Okay!" Minako said as she ran up ahead of them. "Last one to class buys lunch!"

"H-Hey!" He said as he and Yukari started to run.

"In a way…" Yukari said as they ran side by side. "I guess we have to do this no matter what…"

"What? Catching up to Sissy?"

"No! About that other thing!"

"The word 'duh' comes to mind!" He said as he missed her bag as she tried to hit him and ran faster as he now ticked her off enough to want to leave a bruise, which thankfully by the time he entered the building, he was safe.

xxxxx

The day was like molasses until it finally ended and the twins weren't in the mood to do anything at the school and Minako mentioned about going to the shrine to see if they could find Maiko there, a bit worried since it's been some days since they've last seen her. Minato agreed and they headed off the school grounds and made their way to Naganaki Shrine.

xxxxx

Once they were there, they saw her crouched down in a shadowed part of the shrine, head down on her knees and arms wrapped around her legs as her body shook.

"Maiko-chan?" Minako said as she went up to the girl, and bent down to be as close to the girl. "Maiko-chan?"

"Oh, h-hello…" Maiko said as she managed to lift her head up to see the twins.

"What's wrong?" She asked as she placed her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"M-My dad, he—" Maiko started as she wailed and ran into the older girl's chest and cried.

Minako wrapped her arms around the small girl as she looked at Minato as he pointed to the benches. She nodded as she picked the girl up and carried her over as they sat down and waited for the girl to calm down, rubbing her back as she cried on her chest.

Minato watched as he couldn't help but think the scene before him is endearing, his sister acting like a good older sister or mother to a small girl who needed comfort, and who better to give that than his sister?

When Maiko calmed down a bit, but small tears still came out of her pained eyes. "Dad, he… he… he hit me!" She said as another bout of tears seemed to be coming up. "I don't know what to do…"

The twins could feel for the girl as they couldn't help but feel a great sense of disappointment of her father at this moment, causing his own daughter this amount of pain.

"That's terrible." Minato said as he placed his hand on her head as she nodded.

"I know it is!" Maiko said as stray tears fell in her puffy eyes. "Why would Dad do that?" She hiccupped as she curled up against Minako. "Why…?" She whimpered, but she seemed comforted by the two.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Minako asked gently, which the other nodded.

"All I did was say I wanted to know the real reason they were getting a divorce." She started as she pouted. "They told me I was too young to even understand it. So I kept asking, but then Dad got angry and… and he…" She placed her small hand where she was struck, her left cheek. "Then Mom said since I was so annoying, that it was my fault." She sobbed. "I'm not sure they love me anymore…"

The twins knew that wasn't true, but knew that kind of thing was too far for a child her age, even if they were angry.

"I bet they wouldn't care if I wasn't even here at all!"

That struck their hearts more than any kind of physical pain they could endure. It was something they themselves went through for the first year or two after their parents died and had to live with their aunt.

"That isn't true."Minako said as Maiko looked up.

"Are you … sure?" She looked to see both siblings nodded that they were sure. "But then, why are they so mad?" Despite the question, she seems a little happier.

"Don't have an answer for you, I'm sorry." Minato said.

Maiko then looked thoughtful. "What if I ran away from home?" She asked suddenly, surprising the twins as she looked up. "I want to find out… how they really feel about me. If they love me, then they'd try to look for me, right?" She then smiled as the idea seemed to be a good one, despite the looks of surprise from the twins. "It's a secret, okay? Don't tell Mom and Dad I'm running away." She giggled as she got off of Minako's lap. "I know you guys won't tell."

The twins were too shocked to say anything as they could feel her trust in them and felt their bond with her grow a bit stronger.

"Well, I have to go now. We can play more later!" She said as she left the shrine.

The twins sat there, not knowing what to do or say as they both got up and went up to the temple to do a prayer. After that they headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka asked as they went in the lounge.

"Could've been better." Minato said.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Fuuka said. "What happened?"

"It's personal." He said as he yawned. "I'm tired… I'm going to hit it early tonight."

"Same…" She said as she followed her brother up the stairs.

"What's eating them?" Junpei said as Yukari shrugged.

"I wouldn't know." She said as she sighed. "One of these days I would like to follow them and see what it is they do outside of school."

"I wouldn't bother." Junpei said. "When it comes to those two, they can handle on their own."

"But-!"

"It's a bit worrisome though…" Fuuka said. "There are days like today they come back looking so down… I would like to know what's going on so I could help them."

"Exactly!" Yukari said as she sighed. "It makes me feel awful, not knowing them as well as I should."

"They just like playing the mysterious card." Junpei said. "Minato more than Ko-tan. Ko-tan is like a coin, fifty percent chance you can read her like a book and the other half she can get away with a smile and a cute bash of her eyelash."

"That's very profound coming from you." Yukari said as she raised a brow.

"Well I am her best bro friend. And when a best bro friend hangs out with his best sis pal, he picks up a few things."

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried."

Akihiko couldn't help but chuckle. "It's something alright."

"Hey, Senpai, aren't you sometimes worried about them when they get down?" Yukari asked.

Akihiko looked up from the paper. "Sometimes, but I trust them enough to let us know if it's really something important that they would seek our way for advice."

"But what if they're doing this alone?"

"They're bright young adults." Mitsuru said. "Akihiko is right, if there is something that troubles them, they wouldn't hesitate to come to us."

Yukari sighed, not convinced about this at all.

xxxxx

With the twins, they were dressed for bed, but they were anything but tired, as they sat down on the floor, an album open and they giggled at the pictures inside the pages.

"Oh, I remember that time!" Minako said as she pointed to on picture with her child version holding some markers in her hand while the other markers were in her lifted skirt of her dress as she ran from the child version of Minato, whose face would be a proud work of Picasso, as he chased her. "You were taking a nap and I just got new markers that were washable." She giggled. "You were so mad it was funny."

"It was anything but at that time, I didn't even know what you drew on my face, but I knew it was something I didn't like." Minato said as he turned a few pages until he stopped when he saw a picture of them holding their parents pictures after the funeral. "I wonder what would've happened if we ran away that time too?"

Minako nodded as she was thinking the same thing. "We wouldn't be here, that's for sure." She said as she leaned against him. "What should we do? Maiko-chan is still so young… She couldn't possibly make it in a week if she did try to run away…"

"I don't know Sissy…" Minato said as he sighed and closed the album. "I would suggest her hiding out here, but then Mitsuru-senpai would really give it to us if we tried to help a child run away."

"Yeah… Though I think she might put her parents in perspective once she hears her story of why she's running away."

"Yeah, she would. But in the end, even though we're in Maiko's life, we don't know anything about her parents other than they're getting a divorce. And as much as we care about her, we can't butt in until we see the parents for ourselves."

Minako nodded in agreement. "Yeah…"

"Let's get some sleep." Minato said as they got up from the floor and turned in for the night with Minako holding the pillow to her chest while Minato was on his back, staring at the ceiling before both finally closed their eyes to sleep.


	85. Episode 84: Outing with Food in Mind

Ep. 84: Outing with Food in Mind

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/5-

The next morning, Minako's cell went off and she answered. "Moshi, moshi…" She said as she got up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Oh! Morning Yukari." She seemed a bit more awake. "Hang out? Sure, I don't have anything planned." She nodded. "Okay, give me five minutes." And with that she disconnected and got ready, in which her brother's cell went off.

Minato answered his, turning over to the other side of the bed as he got his cell and answered. "Moshi, moshi, you have reached Arisato Minato, not to be confused by his early bird twin sister Minako." He said as he heard a light and airy giggle followed by a familiar voice saying good morning and sorry to wake him. "Fuuka-chan?" He got up as he scratched his head. "Hang out? Sure." He nodded. "I'll be down in a bit." And with that he disconnected as Minako was ready for the day. "Heading out?"

"Yep!" She said. "You have fun with Fuuka-chan." She said as she went out of the room.

"You as well." He said as he stretched. "Okay… Time to get moving…"

xxxxx

With Minako she went down to the second floor to see Akihiko about to head back to his room from a morning run. "Morning! Akihiko-senpai!" She said, making the other look up.

"Hey, morning, Minako-chan. Heading out?"

"Yep! Yukari invited me to hang out with her." She said with a smile. "How was your run?"

"It was good. The day looks to be perfect."

"Great!" She said. "That always means good things!"

"You seem happier than usual."

"Really?" She said as she giggled. "Maybe I'm excited to hang out with a friend. I haven't spent a lot of time with Yukari… So I guess I'm just really happy that she invited me to hang out."

"It works." He said. "You have a good time, and don't get into trouble."

"I don't remember that being my middle name."

Akihiko chuckled. "I mean it, you joker."

"I'm no joker, I'm a fool for the palace court." She said as they both laughed. "Well, I'll see you later then!"

"Later!" Akihiko said as he shook his head. "Crazy girl…"

Once Minako was at the lounge, she saw Yukari at the lounge, talking to Fuuka before she looked up.

"Hey there you are! Ready to go?" Yukari said as Minako nodded excitedly. "Great! Well, see you later Fuuka, you have fun with Minato."

"I will, you two have fun as well." Fuuka said as the two left the dorm. It wasn't long until Minato came down. "Morning Minato-kun."

"Morning Fuuka-chan. Ready?"

"Yes." She said as they headed out of the dorm as well.

xxxxx

With Minako and Yukari, they headed over to the Iwatodai strip mall and they were in the sweet shop having cakes and talking something random to make each other laugh.

"No way, Senpai took you here?" Yukari asked, almost not believing her.

"Only once, and I don't think we're going to come here again. He's not a huge sugar person, but he doesn't dislike sweets." Minako said as she took a bite of her banana rice cake. "But it was really sweet of him to bring me here and at least try it."

"No pun intended." Yukari said as both girls giggled. "But I agree with you. But I think now we can agree this will be our major hang out spot. Just the two of us. We'll invite Fuuka and a few others, but this is going to be you and me."

"Sounds good to me!" Minako said as she finished her cake. "Yum!"

"You really like the banana rice cake, don't you?"

"Well… I haven't really tried all their cakes, so I can't say for certain which one I like over all."

"That's true!" She said as she finished her cake with a happy sigh. "Nothing beats strawberry rice cake with red beans!" She seemed to beam out in happiness.

"Is strawberry your favorite flavor?" Minako asked.

"Well, I like all types of sweets, but the strawberry rice cake is still the best. So yeah, you could say it's my favorite." Yukari said as she giggled. "Hey, don't you think the person who invented strawberry rice cake is a genius?"

"Definitely." Minako said, since she has yet to figure out how to make a good rice cake.

"That pink skin makes it look like it's saying, 'Eat me'! I just love the outer skin!"

"It's a good thing you're not Alice, otherwise you might grow or shrink if you find one that does say 'Eat me'!"

Yukari laughed hard on that. "You got me there!" She said as they continued to talk for a bit.

xxx

Meanwhile, in the same area, Minato and Fuuka were walking side by side, Minato answering some questions about food from the girl.

"I like most sweets…" He said when she asked what kind of dessert he likes.

Fuuka seems a bit troubled when he gave her yet another vague answer. "Uh… Remember when I told you that I needed to get better at cooking?" He nodded. "Well, I've been cooking with Minako a lot since then…"

"I know."

"Uh… That's why I wanted to know what your favorite food is, so I could make it for you. But…" She sighed. "Everything I make still tastes terrible… If Minako-chan isn't there to point out the mistakes before I do, then it just … you know…"

"I believe in you." He said, knowing that Fuuka is trying her best.

Fuuka looked at him, a bit surprised as she blushed. "Thank you… You're the first guy to say anything like that to me…" She said as she bashfully smiled. "You and Minako-chan are so encouraging…" She sighed. "I'm not really a positive thinker like you and Minako… I always picture the worst happening…" She then smiled a bit. "So, I'm really thankful to be a member of SEES. Everyone's been so encouraging… Especially you and Minako-chan… That's why I want to show my gratitude."

Minato felt that Fuuka placed her trust in him as he felt his bond with her grow a little stronger as Fuuka has a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Maybe I should watch one of those cooking shows on TV…" She then looked a bit discouraged. "Then again, they're probably too advanced for me… Maybe I should get a new cookbook and actually look at it to see if I can follow it, but there aren't a lot in the library…"

"Go to the bookstore." Minato said.

"I could, but…" Fuuka said as she looked down. "I don't really like going to the bookstore…"

"Something wrong?"

"It's not a big deal, though…" She said as she smiled wryly.

Minato didn't press further as they simply walked around before heading back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minako and Yukari they headed out of the sweet shop, having been satisfied with their sweets for the day and were heading back to the dorm.

Halfway to the dorm, Yukari gained the courage to ask the other girl what has been bugging her for some time. "Hey, Minako…"

"Hm? What's up Yukari?"

"Uh… are… Are you and Minato doing okay? You two seem pretty down yesterday."

"Oh that?" Minako said as she nodded. "Yeah, we're okay, we were just worried about someone else."

"Someone else?" Yukari questioned.

"She's a little girl who's having parent trouble at the moment. They're getting a divorce, so me and Toto-nii have been trying to help her. But we're not sure we're helping though…"

"Oh, so that's why you guys were down the other day." Yukari said with a smile. "You two are too nice."

"That's our blessed curse." Minako said with a smile. "Is that all?"

"Are you hiding anything else?"

"Not so much as you are."

"Huh?"

"I know you asked Fuuka-chan to do something…" Minako said with a sad smile. "And I also know that you've been a bit cold towards Mitsuru-senpai for some time now, you're not good at hiding your emotions."

Yukari looked as though she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"I won't ask you what's going on in your mind, it's your business and you're going about it as you see fit. But just keep in mind of what you're doing and the consequences of those actions." Minako looked down at the ground. "I really did have fun today…" She smiled. "Let's have some cake another time, okay?" She looked up at the girl, who nodded.

"Yeah, I would like to do that too." Yukari said as they continued their way to the dorm.

xxxxx

When they arrived, Minato was biting into something that Fuuka made and he passed out on the ground.

"Oh! Minato-kun!" Fuuka cried in panic.

"Brother!"

"I'm okay." Minato said as he got up. "Too spicy… and overdone…" Minato said as he crawled up back onto the chair.

"Oh…" Fuuka said as Minato gave her a thumbs up.

"You're improving…"

Minako smiled as she shook her head. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry… Not intentional." Minato said as Fuuka asked Minako to help her with something in the kitchen and went in.

"You okay? You seem pale…" Yukari asked as she sat next to Minato.

"You would too if you ate something that made you pass out for nearly a minute." He said. "Man that was hot…"

"Really?" She looked at the burnt remains of what was supposed to be food. "What was she trying to make?"

"One of my favorite meat dishes."

"Your favorite?" She asked.

"Yeah…" He said as he saw her reach over and he stopped her hand from reaching for the fork. "Unless your S, M, or both… I suggest you don't attempt."

Yukari blushed as she got her hand back. "Do you even know what you mean?"

"S for sadist, M for masochist… What's so hard to figure out?"

"You're as bad as Junpei!" She said as she got up and left the room, leaving him sitting there with a poker face expression.

"Masochist…" He said finally when the two girls from the kitchen went out, followed by an explosion.

"That was close…" Minako said as Fuuka sighed in relieve

"What happened?"

"Fuuka-chan found a way to make butter explode."

"It' was an accident!"

"I know, I know!" Minako said as she started to laugh. "Boy! I was so scared a moment there."

Fuuka then started to giggle before laughing as well. "B-B-But, now w-we have to-to clean the kitchen."

"That's fine!" Minako said as she looked at Minato. "You're helping."

"Got it." He said as the three of them started the process of cleaning, which he nearly slipped on the melted butter that seem to go everywhere. "How much butter did you use?" He asked, surprised to see the destruction melted butter can cause.

"Well…"

"Best not answer that, Fuuka-chan." Minako said as she took her shoes and socks off, steadied herself and, similar in grace as a fawn on solid ice, made it to where the cleaning supplies lie and made it back to the others as they started to clean.

When Junpei came in to see what they were doing, he was ultimately dragged in to help by leaders' orders. Once they were done, they called it a night.


	86. Ep85: Coming Together and Anticipation

Ep. 85: Coming Together and Anticipation

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/6-

The next morning, the twins were listening to music with their headphones on when Junpei came up from behind them and took one of their headphones off and gaining the twins' attention.

"Yo, what's up?"

"Okay up till now." Minato said dully.

"We're doing good, and yourself?" Minako said with a smile.

"Doing good." Junpei said. "So! Tomorrow's the big day."

"Yeah." The twins said in unison as they saw that Junpei was starting to resemble Akihiko a bit.

"Dude, I'm totally stoked… like right before a tournament or somethin', ya know?" Junpei said as he seemed determined. "Now, I know how Akihiko-senpai feels before he gets in the ring…" And with that the warning bell rang.

"There's the bell, better get up and beat out your first opponent, first period." Minako said with a giggle, this made Junpei laugh.

"That's in instant knock out." Minato said with a grin.

"Dude! You just killed it!" Junpei said as they ran for their classroom.

xxxxx

The day went on like a daydream as it was already time for classes to let out and after school activities to start. Minato headed over to track while Minako headed over to tennis.

When Minato was on finishing up a run against one of the junior varsity members, when he spotted Kazushi and went up to him. "Hey Kaz, how's it going?"

"Oh, hey Minato." Kazushi said as he sighed. "It's going…"

"Is your knee bothering you?"

"A little… But I can still-"

"Don't."

"But!" Kazushi started to say as he looked at Minato, who was giving an unquestionable look that was not to be argued with when the coach came out.

"Everybody, gather 'round!" The coach called as everyone was at attention. "As you all know, Kazushi's knee is in bad shape. If you see him struggling, I want you to stop him immediately. That's it for today! See you all tomorrow." And with that the coach left and everyone started to gather up to head to the lockers.

"Hey." Kazushi said, gaining Minato's attention. "Let's grab a bite to eat."

Minato nodded in agreement as he and the others changed to their school uniforms and headed out of the school, in which Kazushi was having trouble standing, in which Minato lend his shoulder as they made it to the ramen shop.

"S-Sorry… I need to borrow your shoulder again…" Kazushi said as they were seated. "And I was the one who suggested we go eat. I'm sure you love lugging all this dead weight around, right?"

"I'm fine." Minato said, munching on an appetizer he suggested they should get.

"R-Really? Well… I guess you don't seem to be tired." Kazushi said, seemingly happy. "Ah, I knew you were tough." He then sighed as their ramen came in. "When I go to my sister's place to play with my nephew, I help him get into the bath. Even though he's only five years old, he's still heavy. It'd be difficult to do that every day." He looked at his reflection in the ramen broth. "If I'm not able to walk, then I won't even be able to go to the bathroom by myself… I'll be a burden on my mom…" His shoulders slumped. "That just occurred to me while I was leaning on you…" He then looked up. "H-Hey, let me know if I become a burden on you, will ya? I've been completely up front with you… So, I hope you feel like you can do the same."

Minato nodded as he can sense that his friend was worried about him as he could feel his strong bond with the other grow ever stronger as Kazushi sighed. "Kaz?"

"It's nothing… I feel guilty since I made everyone worry…" Kazushi said as he attempted to eat. "I have to win at regionals no matter what. For their sake, too…"

"Just remember to don't push yourself too much when your knee starts hurting."

"Right…" He said as they ate their ramen in a heavy atmosphere that made it oilier than usual.

xxx

With Minako, for the first time in what seemed like a long time she was sweating out with the other members as she and Rio were demonstrating a lesson to the other girls who were ready for the next step before they stopped and Rio faced the others.

"Okay, I'm gonna start tossing balls! Hit them back, and aim as close as you can to the inside of the lines!" Rio called out as the others nodded and waited for her as she grabbed the balls, while Minako joined the other girls. "You get ten tries, then you move on to the back of the line! The rest of you, practice your swings while you wait!"

"Rio's made such a sudden comeback." Said one member that Minako overheard. "We should call her a phoenix…"

"Phoenix Rio…" Said another member. "Why not just call her Rinix?"

"Phoenwasaki sounds good, too. Thought it does sound like some kind of monster…"

"Hey, if you don't stop flapping your jaws my next serve is going straight for your face!" Rio called out as she held the ball up for good measure.

"Ooh, bring it on!" Said a member. "I'll smack it right back at you!"

Minako laughed along with the other girls as she saw that everyone was talking now more than when she first joined and enjoying practice.

"I guess in the end," Said a member "I realized that Rio is a teenaged girl, just like us."

"Maybe we should ask her if she wants to join us on a group date…" Said another member "when it isn't during practice."

"I want to go too!" Minako said.

"You've got someone already, don't you?" Said a member with a smile. "I've heard the rumors too. So, why not tell us more—"

"Hey, you three!" Rio called out on them. "Shut it before I make you do more squats!"

"S-Sorry!" Minako said as she looked at the girl. "And I'm not Junpei's girlfriend! I thought that was made clear!"

"Huh? You think we still hang onto that old rumor?" Said the other girl with a laugh. "I'm talking about the rumor between you and Akihiko-senpai."

"HUH!?" She said. "When was this!?" She was shocked, but she managed to hit the ball back when Rio threw it.

"It's been going around since Junpei's announcement that you're not his girlfriend." Said the other girl. "You mean it's not true? Between you and Akihiko-senpai?"

"No…" She said as she sighed as she went to the back of the line. 'Though it would be nice if it was true, but you can't force someone's affections to be returned. And besides, why ruin a great relationship I have now? He's not interested in a girlfriend, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for a boyfriend, as much as Junpei is trying to be matchmaker.' She thought as she smiled at the thought of how lucky she is to have what she has. 'Yeah, why hurry on love? Love itself is a patient one that sometimes wants to scream out in frustration.' She giggled at her own philosophy as practice was over and helped Rio cleaned up.

"Today's practice was a huge success." Rio said.

"Yeah! Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun!" Minako said as she gathered the balls up.

"I think it helped to pair up people who have the same weaknesses today." Rio continued.

"Did you come up with that?" Minako asked curiously as Rio laughed.

"I never would've had that idea myself. Someone else recommended it to me…" She placed the balls she gathered into their basket as Minako did the same. "I really think everyone's committed to the team now." She then shook her head. "Well, no… I know they were all committed to each other the whole time. I guess I only just now saw what we were missing. I didn't take the time to see who excelled in what…" She then looked at Minako. "Minako…"

"Yes?"

"From the looks of it, you're good at bringing a team together. You've really got an eye for details."

"Oh, no, I'm just a bit lucky by what I saw as far as who has a slow reaction time and who's struggling in what… Wait…" Minako said as she realized she just summed up what Rio just mentioned, making the other girl laugh.

"Seriously," Rio said as she calmed down "you're a much better leader than I am."

Minako blushed, hearing that from the other SEES members before, but to hear it from someone outside the group made her feel a bit bashful. "Thanks…"

"Let's keep doing our best." Rio said as she laughs.

Minako can see that the other seems calm, as if she's matured a bit recently as she felt her already strong bond become stronger.

"Let's clean up fast and go home! Oh, I know." Rio said as she looks as though she thought up a great idea. "Let's stop by Wuck."

"Sounds great!" Minako said as they cleaned up and headed over to Wuck, and after that, they went their separate ways to go home as she headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

She was near the shrine as she remembered that she and the rest of the SEES members are going to face another unusual Shadow, and headed up to pray for everyone's safety. She was about to make her way back to the dorm when she saw the horizontal bars and remembered the last time when she got near to one with Akihiko that one time.

She placed her bag down and placed both hands on the bar, took a deep breath, lifted herself up so that her hips were even with the bar. She took another deep breath as she put most of her weight forward and felt the inertia from the bodily motion of going forward, the sensation of being upside down for a moment before quickly coming back up and doing that three more times before stopping and went back to the ground, loosing a bit of her footing and would've fallen backwards if she wasn't caught.

"Whoa, careful there." Said a familiar young man's voice.

"Akihiko-senpai?" She asked as she looked up to see the said senior as he chuckled, making her blush.

"I was just on my way back to the dorm. Thought I would stop by here for a moment." Akihiko said as he helped her to her feet. "You okay? Still dizzy?"

"I'm okay." She said as she started to giggle.

"What?"

"I don't know…" She said as she took a deep breath. "It's been so long… Since I felt that small thrill of just going around like that… It always scared Toto-nii whenever I would do that so many times that I would make myself dizzy." She laughed at the memory. "But I just loved that feeling! And after I spun so much, I would fall back onto the ground and watch the clouds move around in odd ways."

Akihiko smiled as he can picture her doing just that. "I used to do something like that too. It's a good feeling."

Minako giggled. "Does your sister ever tell you you're going to hurt yourself one of these days like Toto-nii, or does she join in?"

He smiled as he remembered those times. "She would say that I'm a bit reckless, but then she joins in."

Minako can see that it was tender memory. "Can I meet her one day?"

"Huh?"

"Her grave… I like to officially meet her one day." She said as she smiled. "I know that her spirit is usually around, to make sure you're doing okay, like my family does for me and Toto-nii, but it's still nice to see where she's at and pay respects."

Akihiko was a bit taken aback as he smiled and nodded. "I think she would like to meet you to."

She smiled as she looked to find her bag, picked it up, and joined the senior on their way back to the dorm. "Oh, and while we're there, we should find where my parents are! I haven't even been to visit their graves since… Since the funeral…"

"Well… I'm not surprised." Akihiko said. "You and Minato were barely at the dorm for a week when that Shadow attacked and you guys awaken to your power… Then everything at school and studying…" He patted her shoulder. "To be honest, it's been a long time since I've seen Miki, so we'll both be caught up."

Minako smiled as she can picture the time when they see the graves. "Yeah!" And after that, they headed their way out of the shrine's grounds and back onto the street when she looked up, making the other do the same.

"There's a full moon coming up."

"Yep." She said as she heard him chuckle. "What?"

"I can't wait to see what the next Shadow looks like."

"Be careful what you say, you might not like what this Shadow can do."

"I'm sure we can pull it off without incident."

She giggled as she shook her head. "I have no doubt about that."

xxx

Meanwhile, with Minato, he just came into the lounge and saw Mitsuru talking to the Chairman, before they looked up to see him.

"S'up dude!" Junpei said, popping out of nowhere, apparently behind the barely used check-in/out desk. "Tomorrow's the day."

"I know."

"If we lose, then pretty soon the city will be full of The Lost." Junpei mentioned as he shivered. "Just thinking about it gives me the willies."

"Don't give me nightmares…"

"I thought you were made of tougher stuff than that, but then again… We better win… It's all on our shoulders…" He chuckled. "Dude, I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight…"

"You better get your rest though." Said the Chairman. "Tomorrow, we will test my hypothesis… A Shadow will appear during the full moon."

"Is it really a big deal?" Minato asked.

"Well, it's very exciting for a researcher, such as myself."

"The battle with the Shadow…" Junpei said with a chuckle. "I'm so psyched! Duuude, I'm not gonna sleep a wink tonight!"

"I can think of one way to cure that." Minato said when Mitsuru mentioned to Junpei if he has what she asked him to get.

"Oh, yeah, here." Junpei said as he handed her a folder.

"Thank you Iori." Mitsuru said as she opened the folder and grabbed some papers. "Here's last month's reports."

"Thanks Mitsuru." The Chairman said as he took the papers. "I'll add these to the records when I get home." At that moment, Akihiko and Minako entered the lounge.

"Hey, did we miss anything?" Akihiko asked.

"Not in the least." Mitsuru said.

"Good to know." Akihiko said as he headed to the stairs. "I'm going to hit the sack early. See you tomorrow."

"Good night." Minako said as she yawned.

"You should head up to bed as well, you look worn out." Minato said.

"I am." She said as she said her good night as well and headed up.

"Well, seeing that there's nothing much else here for me to do, I better leave you guys to rest up for tomorrow." The Chairman said. "See you all tomorrow."

"Good night." Everyone said as Mitsuru got up from the couch.

"We should all get a good night's rest." She said as she headed up, followed by Fuuka.

"But I don't think I can sleep…" Junpei said.

"Want me to sing you a lullaby?" Minato said dully.

"Like hell." Junpei said as he said his good night to him and headed up.

Minato was about to head up when he noticed Yukari at the kitchen bar and raised his brow. "Yukari?"

"Hm?"

"We're going to bed now."

"Oh… Sorry… I was just thinking."

"Don't make that face when you're thinking, you'll get winkles early." He said as he was hit in the arm. "I deserve that."

"You got that right." Yukari said as she got up. "I was thinking about what kind of Shadow we'll be facing tomorrow."

"We'll know when we get there." He said as he yawned. "But right now, I feel like I can collapse."

"Oh, you had track today, huh? You must be worn out." She said as they headed up the stairs. "Hey… Minato…"

"Hm?"

Yukari shook her head. "Never mind, it's not important."

"Yukari… what is it?" He said as he stopped walking and looked at her. "We talked about this before. Now…" He waited for her.

"It's really nothing."

"Then tell me."

Yukari sighed. "You're not going to let this drop, will you?"

"I won't be able to sleep."

Yukari sighed. "Okay… How do you and Minako do it?"

"Huh?"

"Being able to trust someone without question?"

Minato stayed silent for a moment before he smiled calmly. "We believe in them." He said.

"You… believe in them?"

"Yeah." He said as he studied her, seeing her troubled expression that she rarely shows at school with brown eyes showing a deeper meaning that she's trying to hide. He knew she wants something, but at the same time unable to reach for it, as if afraid of something. "It's okay you know…"

"Huh?"

"It's okay to talk to me, as well as Sissy. Though, I think you'll prefer her because she is a girl." He said as he thought of something. "But as far as not being able to trust someone, you can talk to me about that." He saw her shocked expression. "Before we came here, I couldn't trust anyone either. The only reason I'm able to be relaxed about all this is because of Sissy…" He smiled. "I know you feel the same when you two are together."

Yukari blushed as she looked away. "She… She's always cheerful even when she should be careful…"

"You know how I feel then." Minato said as he chuckled. "We should get some sleep."

"Y-Yeah…" Yukari said as she blushed a bit.

"Oh, here." Minato said as he held out a closed fist. "Hold out your hand."

Yukari did and saw a strawberry candy.

"Sissy said you really like strawberry." He said. "Keep that with you for tomorrow night. You never know when you need a little pick-me-up." And with that he headed down to the door that leads to the shared room.

Yukari looked at the other before looking at the piece of candy and blushed. 'Minako… why did you have to tell him what I like?' She entered her room and placed the piece of candy on her desk before turning in for the night.


	87. Episode 86: Full Moon Hotel pt1

Ep. 86: Full Moon Hotel pt.1

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/7-

The next morning the twins were heading to the school when Minako spotted Fuuka, called out and hugged the startled girl. "Morning! Fuuka-chan!"

"Oh! Good morning, Minako-chan."

"Sorry about Sissy, she's just happy."

"Hello, Minato-kun. How are you feeling today?"

"Better than ever!" Minako said happily as Minato nodded, being the same.

"You two are amazing." Fuuka said. "We're going to have a quick meeting tonight about the operation. So please return to the dorm immediately after school."

"Sure thing." Minato said as Minako nodded as they headed towards the school building to spend their day as normal students until the last class let out and everyone headed back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When the time triggered the Dark Hour, Fuuka summoned her Lucia and everyone waited as she scanned the area.

"Any luck, Fuuka?" Akihiko asked.

"Just a moment." Fuuka said as she nodded. "I found it! I sense a strong presence!"

"Hey, we were right!" Junpei said as he seemed excited.

"Or so it would seem." The Chairman said.

"It's located in Iwatodai…" Fuuka continued "inside a building on Shirakawa Boulevard."

"Hmm, Shirakawa Boulevard…" The Chairman said. "They've been finding The Lost in pairs lately… Now I understand why."

"In pairs…?" Mitsuru said as she sighed. "Oh, I get it." At that point Fuuka dismissed Lucia and looked confused.

"Why, what's on Shirakawa Boulevard?" She asked. "I'm not familiar with that area…"

"I've heard about it, but…" Yukari said as she didn't seem to want to continue.

"That's where all THOSE hotels are. That explains a lot!" Junpei said as he chuckled. "You've heard about 'em, right Fuuka? Where people go to… ya know…"

"Oh…?" Fuuka said as she seemed embarrassed.

"Ugh, you have the dirtiest mind…" Yukari said with a slight glare as the Chairman chuckled.

"Nonsense… They're no different than ordinary hotels." The man said. "The rooms are a bit fancier, that's all."

"Aw man, that's it?" Junpei said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"I don't know about this…" Yukari said. "Maybe I shouldn't go…"

"I feel the same." Minato said. "I say all the girls stay here."

"Huh? Why do you say that, Toto-nii?"

"I don't have a good feeling on this. That's all…"

"Man, you and Yuka-tan are just like little kids." Junpei teased.

"Wh-Whatever!" Yukari said as she seemed ticked off. "Fine. Let's go. But this time, I want a piece of the action!"

"Y-You do?"

"So, who's gonna take the lead?" Yukari asked as she looked at the twins.

"I don't see any reason to change leaders now." Mitsuru said as she looked at the two before looking at Fuuka. "And Yamagishi, I want you to handle support during the operation."

"I'll do my best!"

"Please take care of us." Minato said, making Fuuka giggle and nodded.

"Alright, then I'll let you two decide on the rest of the team." Akihiko said as he adjusted his gloves. "Let's do this."

"Okay, I'll take the guys. Sissy, you take the girls." Minato said. "I don't know what we're up against, especially if they're in a… place like that…"

"You worry too much!" Minako said.

"And you don't worry enough." Minato said as they made their way out of the dorm and headed over to Shirakawa Boulevard.

xxxxx

Once they arrived at the front of the building, the uncomfortable feeling in Minato's gut increased at the sight of the building with the iron cast art to resemble a heart, indicating it to be THAT kind of hotel. 'I have a bad feeling about this…'

"Well, Fuuka-chan?" Minako said. "Where shall we head to?"

"Give me a second." Fuuka said as she nodded. "I sense a powerful Shadow on the third floor!"

"Okay! The third floor it is!" Minako said as she patted her brother's shoulder. "C'mon Bro, the sooner we defeat this Shadow, the quicker we can go home."

"R-Right…" He said as they headed inside and he saw the pink and purple hue of the hallway, making his stomach become more like ice rocks than anything else. But he and the others headed up, avoiding the small fry Shadows as they reached to the third and last floor of the hotel, and they were faced with a fancy, heavily ornate door.

Junpei whistled. "Must be the Master Suite…" He said.

"_I sense a large Shadow inside."_ Fuuka communicated.

"We're in the right place then." Minako said as she placed her hand on the door, while her brother did the same on the other door and both pushed it open to see a large Shadow with another behind it, rubbing its head and there were two white cross-looking minor Shadows.

"This thing's the boss?" Yukari said as she almost wanted to laugh. "Huh… It's more normal-looking than I expected."

"_Get ready, everyone!"_ Fuuka warned. _"It's coming!"_ And with that everyone was ready to fight.

"Get to analyzing!" Minako called out as she summoned Eurydice to give it a physical attack. 'No good.' She thought as Minato already switched his to a Persona that looked like a warrior and did a physical attack that did a considerable number.

"_I got the status of the Hierophant!"_ Fuuka called. _"It repels Zio and nulls on dark and light attacks!"_

"Okay!" Minato as he looked at Akihiko. "Hear that Senpai?"

"Yeah! Avoid using Zio attacks!" He said as he summoned his Persona to do a physical attack.

"Yukari! Go on defense!" Minako called. "Junpei! Mitsuru-senpai! Give it all you got!"

"Right!" Said the two as Junpei charged in with his sword and attacked it, but it didn't really do a lot whereas Mitsuru summoned her Persona to attack it, but it missed.

"It's getting ready to attack!" Yukari said as she was still on defense as the Shadow did a strong Zioga attack that nearly hit Junpei as he moved out of the way in time.

"Hah! You missed!" Junpei said as the Shadow did a creepy laugh as a dark energy came off of it and it moved over the group.

Yukari opened her eyes as she saw that she was okay, but when she looked around, everyone seemed to be afraid. "What the matter with you guys?"

"_It seems that attack frightens its enemies!"_

"Are you kidding!?" Yukari cried out as Minako and Minato were able to summon their Personas to attack, but they were shaking out of fear, in which brought her back to when the last time she saw the two this scared. "Hey! Snap out of it!"

Akihiko shook his head as he started to get his act together and attacked with his Persona. "Hey, get it together!"

Junpei also shook it off and attacked with his bat. "Ko-tan! Minato!"

Mitsuru was able to get a hit with her Persona onto the Shadow, knocking it down. "Let's finish this off!"

The twins snapped out of it as they did an all out, only to fall back as the Shadow did that attack again.

"D-Damnit!" Junpei said as he was paralyzed in fear.

"Damn!" Minato said as he lifted the Envoker shakily to summon one of his other Personas to get a good attack on the Shadow as Yukari healed him.

Akihiko grit his teeth as he charged at the Shadow and hit the Shadow with an upper cut.

Mitsuru followed this attack with a swift movement of her wrist and her rapier sliced a deep cut on the shadow.

'This is annoying…' Minato thought as he made eye contact with his sister as they both nodded as they physically attacked the Shadow together, knocking it back off its feet.

"Let's finish this, Toto-nii!" Minako called out.

"All out! And give it your all!" Minato called as everyone charged in and defeated the Shadow.

"I'm glad we're done with that Shadow!" Junpei said. "Damn thing scaring all of us so easily!"

"You okay Sissy?" Minato asked as Minako nodded happily.

"Yeah, just glad that's over." She said as she shivered. "Really did not enjoy that attack at all."

"I don't think anyone did." Yukari said.

"_Good job."_ Fuuka said through the connection. _"You succeeded once again. I'll be waiting outside for you."_

"We'll see you in a bit!" Minako said as she went up to the doors, only she couldn't open it. "Huh?"

"What's the matter Sissy?"

"The door won't open." She said as she moved to the side for her brother to try, only to come to the same result.

"That can't be right…" Akihiko said as he tried to open the door, first by grabbing the handles, then slamming his shoulder onto the wood. "The hell?"

"What? Are we trapped in here?" Junpei asked

"_Huh!?"_

"What's up Fuuka-chan?" Minako asked.

"_I still sense a Shadow in that room! It's not the same one you defeated!"_

"Say what!?" Junpei exclaimed. "Two Shadows in one night!?"

Mitsuru looked around the room. "Where is it hiding?" She asked. "I can sense it here in the room, but can't pinpoint it."

"_I don't know either… Please be careful!"_

"Got it." Minato said as Minako sighed.

"Well, guys, looks like we're gonna fight again." Minako said as she looked around the room. "The Shadow must be hiding in plain sight."

"Search the room until the Shadow pops up, huh?" Akihiko said.

"We could be dealing with one with a bit more intelligence." Mitsuru said. "So we will have to be careful about searching around here."

"Right." The twins said as they started to look around the room.

"Dude, you can see the bathroom through these windows!" Junpei said. "Shit it's huge!"

"Sense anything unusual besides its size?" Mitsuru asked.

"Uh… No, nothing."

"Then keep looking." Mitsuru said as she seems troubled by the fact that she nor Fuuka can pinpoint the other Shadow.

"Nothing unusual about the bed…" Minato said. "It's not really appealing if you ask me…"

"That's good to hear." Minako said as she checked the corners of the room.

Akihiko looked at the drawers, only to close them quickly.

"Akihiko-senpai?" Minako asked, since she wasn't far from him.

"It's nothing…" He said as his face seemed to blush. "The Shadow isn't there." He didn't seem comfortable with how things are looking. "You think a large Shadow will be easy to find in this damn room…"

"Maybe we're dealing with one that knows how to shape shift?" Junpei suggested.

"That's the most logical suggestion at this point." Mitsuru agreed as Yukari made a questioning tone. "Takeba?"

Yukari was standing in front of a large, overly ornate mirror as she pointed at her reflection. "Is it me, or is there something about this mirror?" Everyone gathered to see the mirror, but didn't see anything odd about it.

Minako and Minato looked at their reflection until they saw their expressions changed, and they weren't doing it.

"Get away!" Minako cried when the mirror started to glow and the only thing everyone saw was a bright white light, blinding them.


	88. Episode 87: Full Moon Hotel pt2

Ep. 87: Full Moon Hotel pt.2

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/7-

Minato blinked as he felt a little light headed. He saw that he was sitting on a bed in a hotel-like room. He couldn't recall what happened or why he was here when his head felt as if he was in some kind of fog. 'What was I…?' He thought when he just realized that the sound of a shower on in the other room is heard. 'Someone else here too?' He then felt a shock at the back of his mind.

"_**Embrace your desire…"**_

xxx

Meanwhile, Minako was waking up and found herself lying on the bed before sitting up and held her head. "What happened?" She said quietly as she heard the shower in the other room. "Where…?" She started to say as her head started to hurt and fell down back onto the bed as a voice started to speak, like a demon's whisper, into her mind, saying to embrace her desire. 'H-Huh?'

"_**I am the voice of your inner self…"**_ Said the voice smoothly, like poisoned honey. _**"Enjoy the moment... That which cannot be felt is merely a dream… The present is all we have."**_

xxx

The twins shook their heads. 'That's not true!' They thought as the pressure in their minds seemed to try to hold on like a prison guard.

"_**The future is but a fantasy, memory a fabrication… Let your desire free you from your shackles… Such is my wish…"**_

The twins held their heads as they said "I can't give in…" under their breath. 'These aren't my thoughts!' The twins thought as the voice continued.

"_**Pleasure is what you truly want. You stand before the doorway to bliss. You cannot deny your instincts… Embrace your desire…"**_

"Not now!" Both twins called out, breaking free of whatever power was over them as everything went back to them.

xxx

With Minato he sighed as he rubbed his temple. "Damn… I hope Sissy is okay…" He said, a bit worried about his twin when the shower turned off. 'Oh shit! I forgot that I wasn't alone!' He thought as he heard someone coming out.

Yukari came out, looking a bit dazed and having a towel wrapped around her. "Uh… What was I…?" She said as she seemed to break free of the power as well only to see him, sitting there and screamed, slapped him, and ran back into the bathroom.

Minato sat there, a bit dumbstruck as he could feel the burning sensation on his face where he was slapped. "Ow…" He said when a horrifying thought came up. 'If Yukari was also manipulated by the Shadow… Sissy!'

xxx

With Minako, after she broke through the power, she sighed in relief as she was getting off the bed when the sound of the shower turned off reminded her that she wasn't alone. 'Oh God…' She thought as she heard someone coming out. 'Whoever it is, I have to wake them up!' She got off of the bed when Akihiko came out, with only a towel around his waist.

"Hey, it's your turn next…" He said as he shook his head. "Whoa! Wh-What the hell!?" He said as he noticed a chill and saw that he wasn't in his clothes. "What's going on here!?"

"It was an enemy trap!" Minako said, looking away off to the side.

"What!?" He said. "We have to regroup immediately!" He saw her looking away, a blush apparent on her face and remembered that he was in a moderate birthday suit at the moment. "Oh, a-after I change first…" He ran back into the bathroom, blushing horribly. 'Shit, shit, shit!' He chanted in his mind as he found his clothes on the ground.

Minako sighed in relief and wondered if her brother is okay.

xxx

Back with Minato, he was just thinking of his sister's safety when Fuuka contacted them.

"_Oh, I can finally reach you! Can you two hear me?"_

"I can hear you." He answered.

"_I'm sorry I couldn't contact you sooner… The Shadow was interfering with your thoughts… And you all got separated…"_ She explained. _"The enemy is still in the same room. Please regroup and hurry there. Did you hear that, Yukari?"_

"Uh, sorry…" Yukari called out from the bathroom. "Yeah… I heard you."

"_Um… Did something happen?"_

"No, nothing happened." She said.

"Can you see if you could find my sister? I'm worried about her." He asked.

"_I'm doing that now."_ Fuuka said as she disconnected as Yukari came out.

"Come on! Let's go!" She said as she glared at him. "If you tell anyone… I won't ever speak to you again."

"Nothing happened, Yukari."

"Still!"

"Save it for the Shadow. I'm worried about Sissy."

Yukari seemed surprised. "You don't think?"

"If it happened to us, it must've happened to the others as well." He said as they left the room.

xxx

With Minako, she was startled when Fuuka contacted them.

"_Oh, I'm sorry for startling you."_

"I'm okay." She said. "Where is everyone?"

"_You are currently on the first floor along with Minato-kun and Yukari-chan."_

'Oh boy…' She thought as she knew those two were forced to be in the same room as she and Akihiko.

"_Everyone else is on the second floor, waiting for you."_

"Okay, we'll be up in a bit."

"_Good. Akihiko-senpai, can you hear me?"_

"Y-Yeah, loud and clear!" Akihiko called out from the bathroom.

"_Uh...?"_

"Don't worry about it." She said as she knew the other girl doesn't have their attention on them when Akihiko came out.

"All right, let's go." He said as he hesitated for a moment. "Um, and about what happened earlier…" He looked a bit ashamed as he looked at her for a moment before looking away. "Could you keep it a secret? Please…"

"I don't want to say anything either." She said as she noticed his black ribbon wasn't even. "Akihiko-senpai, wait…" She said as she pointed to her neck. "Your ribbon is crooked. Definitely a dead giveaway." She said as she went up to fix it.

"T-That's-"

"Don't move for a bit, it's hard to fix this without you moving so much." She said as she made quick work of the ribbon. "There, now it doesn't look like you were in a hurry."

"T-Thanks…" He said as he studied her. "Are… are you okay?"

"Hm? Yep. A bit of a headache from when that Shadow tried to manipulate me, but it's going away thankfully." She said as he sighed in relief. "Akihiko-senpai?"

"Let's find the others and get that Shadow." He said as a new spark was present in his now angered eyes.

She didn't question further as they headed out of the room, only to meet up with Minato and Yukari.

"Sissy!" Minato said, happy to see her, but looked surprised to see Akihiko with her. "S-Senpai!?"

"Toto-nii!" She said happily as she went up to him. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah… Y-You?" He asked as he stole a glance at the senior, who wasn't ignorant of what the brother was thinking.

"I'm healthy as a bull." She said simply.

"No pains anywhere?" He questioned as he looked at her up and down, trying to see any sign of disorganization.

"Only my head, but it's going away." She said as she saw the red mark on his face. "What happened to you!? Is that a handprint?"

Yukari felt a bit guilty about slapping the boy like she did. "Uh… sorry…"

"Oh, it's okay. Toto-nii is made out of tougher stuff." She said as she patted her brother's chest, but felt a bit sorry for the two.

"_I'm sorry everyone…"_ Fuuka said as she contacted them_. "I never expected there to be another Shadow. It's power is blanketing the whole building."_

"Not surprised…" Minato said. "Considering what this place is…"

"_I'm pretty sure it's in that one room you were in before… But, it somehow sealed the door, so I don't think you'll be able to get in."_

"That's just great!" Yukari said, still ticked off about what the Shadow tried to pull earlier.

"_I'll try to find out if there's a way to break the seal…"_ Fuuka said. _"Please join the others. They're on the floor above you."_

"Got it!" The twins said as they started to lead the way up to the second floor, where they saw Mitsuru and Junpei.

xxxxx

"There you are!" Junpei said. "I didn't know there was another Shadow…"

"Yeah, definitely pulled a fast one on us." Minako said, nodding in agreement as the atmosphere became a bit awkward for Yukari and Akihiko.

"Anyway, you guys okay?"

"Just fine." She said, keeping it light.

"We're fine." Minato said.

"Huh? Of course we're okay!" Akihiko said, in which Mitsuru raised her brow.

"Yeah, NOTHING weird happened to us or anything…"

The twins wanted to face-palm this as now everyone knew something happened, even Akihiko looked as though he wanted to disappear. Thankfully, Fuuka announced just in time before the atmosphere got more awkward.

"_I got it! It's the mirrors!"_ Fuuka said. _"They're giving off the same energy as the Shadow! Maybe the seal will vanish if you break the mirrors…"_

"Do we have to break every mirror?" Minako asked. "Wouldn't that cause suspicion when the Dark Hour is up?"

"Wait a sec…" Yukari said. "I remember this one mirror we saw on the third floor was different from the others… When I stood in front of it, I felt kinda strange…" She said as she looked as if she stepped in something gross.

"Okay, we just have to find mirrors that make us feel strange." Minato said. "Junpei, you come with me. Mitsuru, you go with Akihiko, and Yukari you go with Sissy. Report back to the third floor to take the Shadow down."

"Right!" Everyone said as they parted ways.

xxxxx

"Mind telling me what's going on, Akihiko?" Mitsuru asked when they were out of earshot.

"Huh? N-Nothing's going on." He said.

"Akihiko… You're a horrible liar." Mitsuru said as she gave him an icy glare. "What happened."

Akihiko gulped, knowing that if he doesn't answer her now, she will try a different method for him to talk, and he's experienced that only a few times in the past to know better. "Well…" He started as they entered a room, but didn't sense anything off about the overly decorated mirror and told her what happened as they left the room.

"I see…" Mitsuru said, understanding that her partner has never, in all the times they worked together, been is such a delicate situation. And the fact that the Shadow tried to force on them, it was a relief that they were able to break free from that manipulation. "Was she frightened of you?"

"Huh?"

"Was she frightened of you?"

He blinked as he shook his head. "No, embarrassed to begin with, but acts the same."

"Then you shouldn't worry so much." She said with a grin as they entered a room where she can sense something coming off of one mirror. "Nothing happened, and she's hasn't acted differently around you." She destroyed the mirror and turned to look at him. "Now quit making that guilty look and focus on getting rid of that Shadow."

Akihiko nodded as he seemed angry. "You bet. That thing is going to die!"

"That's the Akihiko I know…" She said as Fuuka announced that all mirrors have been broken and to report to the third floor.

"What about you?" He asked.

"What about me?"

"Did you…?"

Mitsuru smiled as she has a dark look. "Iori learned the hard way…" She said as Akihiko shivered.

"I don't need to know…" He said, not wanting to imagine the pain the other has to have experienced.

xxxxx

With Minato and Junpei, they were looking at the other wing from where Mitsuru and Akihiko took.

"So…" Junpei said as he looked to see the fading pink handprint on his cheek. "You and Yuka-tan?"

"Is it obvious?" Minato said as he opened the door to a room.

"Only Yuka-tan could do physical harm when startled." He said as he placed a hand on the other's head.

"The hell?"

"You're hair's dry…"

"…Yeah…"

"Does that mean you saw…"

"End of discussion." Minato said as he destroyed the mirror. "Let's go."

"Hey, at least you got a slap to the face! I think I forgotten how to do math!"

"Divine punishment?"

"I'll say! I know Yuka-tan has an arm, but Mitsuru-senpai has a hammer hand!" He said as he winced at the memory. "All of Ko-tan's tutoring… is in vain…" His shoulders slumped as he seemed to realize something. "Wait… If I was stuck with Mitsuru-senpai and you with Yuka-tan… That means Ko-tan was with…"

"Yeah…" Minato said as he sighed. "Thankfully nothing happened… Otherwise…" He started to have a dark expression. "He. Is. Dead."

Junpei gulped as he was slightly glad that Akihiko only sees Minako as a little sister. 'Talk about a sister complex.' He thought as Fuuka announced that everyone should report to the third floor.

xxxxx

With Minako and Yukari, they took the third floor as they checked a couple rooms with no bites.

"So… You and Akihiko-senpai…" Yukari said, trying to get over the awkward situation.

"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise, but thankfully nothing happened." Minako said easily. "And it's the same with you and Toto-nii."

"Y-Yeah…" Yukari said as she blushed out of embarrassment. "That Shadow is going down when I see it!"

"Akihiko-senpai will agree with you there…" Minako said.

"Aren't you, you know, embarrassed by all this?" She asked as she noticed the other girl's hair is dry while hers is still slightly damp. "Wait… You didn't take a shower, did you?"

"Nope, and I'm not going to let something small as that going to bother me with what's important now."

Yukari was impressed of the girl's reasoning as Minako cheered as they found the room with the enchanted mirror and broke it. "I don't know if you're amazing or crazy."

"A little bit of both. Keeps me going." Minako said as she giggled. "What with that face?"

"I'm trying to be serious here! If we haven't cleared our heads, we might've…" She couldn't even finish her sentence when Minako patted her shoulder.

"Don't think about things that didn't happen." She said as she turned the girl around as they headed out of the room, in time to hear Fuuka announce that all the mirrors were destroyed and the seal was broken.

"Let's go, we got a Shadow to get rid of."

"Y-Yeah…" She said as they waited for the others to join them at the front of the master suite.

xxxxx

"Ready?" Minako asked as everyone nodded. "Shadow Extermination: Part Two!" With that she and Minato opened the large doors, to see a large, heart-shaped Shadow with attached wings, surrounded by what looks like a metal cage with spikes at the top of the heart. It also looks as though it was bleeding.

"So this is the punk!" Yukari said as anger filled her eyes. "I'll teach you not to mess with a girl's heart!"

"How dare you pull shit like that with us…" Akihiko said as he charged in as Yukari got her arrows ready. "I hope you're ready to die!" He landed a good solid punch onto the Shadow, followed by an arrow where the Shadow's head is.

"Should we just let those two have at it?" Junpei asked. "They look really pissed."

The Shadow got up and did some kind of charm attack and got Yukari to shoot arrows at Akihiko.

"H-Hey! Don't shoot at me!"

"Fuuka! Stats!" Minako called out as she tackled Yukari to the ground. "Sorry Yukari! But killing off teammates is not part of how a team works!"

Minato and the others went in to attack the Shadow. He summoned Orpheus to do a physical attack, in case Agi doesn't work, followed by Junpei's Herme's physical quick attack, in which Mitsuru finished off with her Persona's physical attack as well, knocking it down. "All out!" He called as everyone, except Minako and Yukari, beat up on the Shadow before it got back up.

"Yukari! Snap out of it!" Minako called out as she was left with no choice. "I'm so sorry Yukari!" She then gave the other a good slap to the face.

"Ow! That hurt!" Yukari cried, only to realize something was really off. "Huh? What happened!?"

"You were charmed and nearly killed Akihiko-senpai!" She said as she helped the girl up. "Fuuka!"

"_I got it! It has multiple weaknesses. Only dark and light attacks don't seem to have effect."_

"Good!" Akihiko said as he got his Envoker out. "That means I don't have to hold back!" He summoned his Persona and used Zioga on the Shadow.

"Easy!" Junpei said as he was nearly hit by one of the lightening. 'Man, he's really pissed off that he and Ko-tan were about to…' He then avoided an attack.

"Keep your head on your shoulders!" Akihiko said as the Lovers Shadow did a charm attack on Junpei, but it missed.

"Hah! I ain't gonna be your bitch!" Junpei called out as he and Minato attacked at the same time.

The Shadow recovered long enough to do an Agi attack hitting all of them.

"Ow…" Yukari said. "That kinda hurt…" She said as the Shadow seemed to shoot an arrow towards Akihiko. "Senpai!"

Akihiko looked up in time to see the arrow heading towards him, but then his view was obscured by another body that took the arrow, which is just an energy attack to make it look like an arrow. "Minako!" He called out as the person that blocked that attack was Minako and saw that she was charmed.

"Io! Charmadi!" Yukari called out as she summoned her Persona and the spell that was used snapped Minako back to reality.

"Thanks Yukari!" She called out as Minato charged in, getting a critical hit, Mitsuru used her Bufuga attack, and knocked the Shadow down. "All out!" She called out as everyone went in and with that the Shadow was gone.

"Alright!" Yukari cheered.

"Take that." Akihiko said, seemingly satisfied with that.

"You two okay?" Junpei asked.

"They're okay, Junpei." Minato said as he sighed. "I'm done for the night…"

"Same…" Minako said. "Too much fighting in one night."

"I'll say!" Yukari said as they were filing out when Akihiko tapped Minako's shoulder.

"Hm? Akihiko-senpai?"

"You shouldn't have taken that attack." Akihiko said, sounding concerned. "You were lucky that it was just a charm attack, but what if it was an actual attack?"

Minako blinked. "Then you'd do everything in your ability to get rid of the one that hurt me and lecture me when I get better."

Akihiko was stumped as he face-palmed. "I'm being serious here."

"So am I." She said with a smile. "Thank you."

"Hm?"

"For worrying about me. But I worry about you too." She said as she mentioned that they should get a move on.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minato looked back to see Akihiko and Minako were talking.

"Worried about her?" Yukari asked.

"Not so much now…" He said.

Yukari smiled as she looked at the two. "Hey… Do you think they make a good couple?"

"Really, Yukari?" Minato said. "You're asking if my sister, my BABY, twin sister is a good match for Senpai?"

"Yeah… kind of a dumb question…" Yukari said as the atmosphere grew awkward.

Minato sighed as he cleared his throat. "On a lighter note…" He said as he looked away. "Thanks, for helping out Sissy."

Yukari looked confused. "You're welcome." She said as the other mumbled something. "What was that?"

"You…" He started to say as Minako and Akihiko came up.

"What are you two still doing here?" Minako asked.

"Waiting on you, apparently." Yukari said as the girls went a bit up ahead, leaving the guys in an awkward silence.

"I'm never going to forget tonight…" Minato said. "Damn Shadow…"

"I hear ya…" Akihiko said.

"Nothing happened… right?"

"Not a thing."

"That's good." He said as they all made it out of the building.

"I'm glad you're all safe." Fuuka said as everyone walked out of the building.

"Thanks for your help." Mitsuru said. "The enemy was sly, but you did well."

"I did what I could." Fuuka said.

"And you too, Minato and Minako, for withstanding the enemy's mental assault."

The twins felt the trust between the group grew a tad stronger as they couldn't help but feel a bit on the spot as Akihiko stretched.

"Alright, let's call it a night." He said as he and Mitsuru went on ahead.

"Oh, Yukari." Fuuka said, stopping Yukari, which made the twins stop as well, but Junpei stood his ground since walking out of the building. "About that thing you mentioned the other day…"

"You found out something?" Yukari asked as Fuuka nodded. "Cool, tell me later."

"Uh… are we missing something?" Minako asked as Yukari waved it off.

"Don't worry about it." She said as she clapped her hands together. "Alright! We should head back, too." She placed her hand on Fuuka's shoulder. "Fuuka played a big role again in this one, so score another for the second-years!"

"Even though you were against it a month ago…" Minato pointed out.

"Be quiet!" Yukari said as she noticed Junpei standing there, not saying a single word since they got out. "Come on, Junpei. What are you doing?" This brought attention to the other juniors.

Junpei looked up and looked over to the twins. "Minato… So, you're the hero again, huh?" He said to Minato as he looked to Minako. "And Minako, what're you trying so hard for?"

"I didn't do much…" Minato said, a bit confused about the irked tone the other is using.

"Were you worried?" Minako asked as Junpei shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, whatever…" He said.

"Hey, why do you have to be like that?" Yukari said. "Don't tell me you're jealous." She smiled. "Are you gonna keep sulking because they were picked to be leaders again?"

"Shut up!" Junpei snapped, making Yukari move back. With that he walked away from them.

"Junpei…" Minako was about to reach out.

"Don't touch me." He said as he continued to walk away from them.

"What's up HIS butt?" Yukari said.

"That wasn't the best time to tease him." Minato said as he saw the slightly hurt look on his sister's face.

Yukari sighed as the four juniors made their way back to the dorm.

xxxxx

Unknown to them, up on the rooftop from a building across from the hotel, the tall and pale young man clapped his hands, as in applause.

"Faster than I expected." He said with an amused grin while the girl in the white dress stood by silently, watching. "That was quite a show. They've been rather busy these last few months, including their frequent forays into the tower. They're fighting style is positively fascinating…" He grinned. "And it seems they've gained new recruits, too." He then looked over to the smart looking young man with the metal brief case. "Well, Jin? Are they our enemy?"

The smart looking guy, Jin, looked at the other. "Why don't we ask our 'buddy'? We'll be seeing him soon."

"Yes…" Said the pale young man with an eerily smile that make even a snake's scales shiver. "That's an excellent idea. Considering that he shares our fate, it would be prudent to seek his opinion." He then turned away from the roof's edge as he has a solemn look on his face. "We don't have much time left…"


	89. Episode 88: Hard Times to Come

Ep. 88: Hard Times to Come

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/8-

The twins woke up not wanting to go to school today, but they toughed it out and headed over to the building, overhearing the usual gossiping duo about summer vacations and that there's the finals coming up.

When classes ended for the day, Minato mentioned that he overheard some of the other students talking about Bebe, and how off he seems.

"We haven't hung out with him in a while. And I'm up for making something for the girls in the dorm." Minako said. "Not sure what to do for the guys though…" She looked at her brother who held his hands up.

"I may fall in that category, but we're in different planets."

She sighed as she seemed worried. "Well, in any case, we have to see Bebe-kun."

"Right." He said as they headed over to the Home Economics room, where they found him, quietly working, when normally he was talkative, and the sad expression was another major change.

"Is everything okay, Bebe-kun?" Minako asked. "You look down." This made the other stop working and look up to them.

"You can tell somezing eez wrong!?" Bebe said, astonished that the twins can tell he was down before he looked as though he was about to cry. "Uhh… Last night… My dear aunt… was taken away by ze angels!" He then started to tear up.

This surprised the twins as Minako mentioned that he should calm down.

"I will try…" He said as he wiped away some tears, only to be offered a handkerchief by Minako and he took it gratefully. "S-Sorry, gomenasai…" He took a deep, shaky breath. "She was ze reason I was able to come to Japan… And now, she 'as been taken away…" He sniffed. "She 'elped me so much, and… I could not do anyzing for 'er…" He sounded that he was being choked up. "I was 'olding zis inside… because I know zat crying will not 'elp…" He looked up to the two. "But, seeing ze look on your faces… I…"

Minako went up to hug the other, as he hugged back, crying a bit onto her shoulder. Minato placed a hand on the other's shoulder and gave it an assuring squeeze that he was there. They felt their fragile bond with the other start to become a little stronger as they can feel his devastation of the loss of his aunt.

Soon Bebe calmed down as he backed away a little to arm's length. "Sorry, gomenasai. I cannot work today. Well… Mata ne…"

"Mata ne… Bebe-kun…" Minako said as they watched him leave the room. "Toto-nii…"

"I know, I feel bad about not doing anything to help either, but it's going to be one of those days." He said as he got a text from Kenji. "Are you okay going home by yourself?"

"Have to go out?"

"Yeah, Kenji, but his text is really off."

"Okay." She said as she looked at the supplies still out. "I'll just clean up here."

"You sure?"

She nodded. "I'll be okay!" She said as she pushed her brother out of the room. "You get going!"

"I'll see you later then." He said as he headed his way out of the school.

Minako sighed as she started cleaning up, thinking of what to make for the guys when she thought about Junpei, how he acted made her wonder if he was now at his limit. 'I should try to talk to him…' She thought, wondering if Yukari was right and he was jealous of them because they were chosen to be leaders when he wanted to be.

xxx

With Minato, he was at the Port Island Station where he saw Kenji, waiting for him. "What's up?" He asked as the other looked up at him.

"H-Hey, man…" Kenji started. "I was gonna tell you this when we got to the ramen shop, but now's a good a time as any…" He took a deep breath as he looked at the other seriously. "I've decided to go to Kyushu with Emiri, so this'll be my last bowl of ramen, dude."

Minato was a bit shocked to hear this as Kenji turned, only to look confused.

"What the-? Is that Emiri?"

Minato looked up where the other was looking at and recognized the pretty teacher talking to a man that seems to be around her age.

"Who's that she's with?" Kenji asked as they could hear bits and pieces of the conversation that was carried by the wind.

"I didn't think he'd get so…" Miss Kanou said to the man. "He's just a kid… he must have misunderstood my… I thought he'd be relieved that I was being transferred… he said he wanted to… The other students are…"

It was difficult to hear everything for Minato to hear, but he got enough to get the picture.

"It won't be much longer…" Said the man. "I'll pick you up… On our wedding night…"

"I can't wait either…" Miss Kanou said as she and the man kissed.

Minato looked over at Kenji, who stood there, shocked.

"I didn't even know she was leaving today…" Kenji said. "I thought we'd be together forever…"

Minato placed a hand on the other's shoulder. "Hey, Kenji…" He said, trying to console him, only to be shrugged off.

"S-Stop it!" Kenji said as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "Why are you trying to make me feel better!? I'm an idiot. You should be laughing at me." Then the tears rolled down from the corners of his eyes to his cheeks. "Ugh! I'm such an idiot! A stupid, stupid idiot. I should've known this would happen…!" He started to sob a bit. "Why, Emiri? WHY!?" He cried as Minato wrapped an arm around him and led them to a bench, ignoring the looks the people were giving them as he sat next to the other as he let his emotions out before calming down. "Oh, man…" He sniffed as he used the back of his hand to rid of the snot that was running down his nose. "Now my nose is running…" He laughed weakly. "Hey, thanks, Minato… If you weren't here, I'd…" He started laughing through his tears

Minato could feel his bond with the other get stronger still as he waited for the other to calm down.

"L-Let's go home…"

"I'll walk you there." He said as they walked together before he saw to it that the other made it home okay and made his way back to the dorm.

xxxxx

He made it there and saw Yukari and Fuuka heading upstairs.

"Oh, hey." Yukari said.

"Hey."

"Sorry, I need to talk to Fuuka…" Yukari said.

"About what?"

"Oh, um, there's something I have to clear up."

"Okay…" He said, figuring it has to do with homework.

"Everyone must be tired after the mission." Fuuka said. "Please get a good night's rest…"

"Okay, I wasn't going to ask about Tartarus."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's cool. You two have fun figuring out whatever it is you guys are trying to figure out." He said as the girls left up the stairs. "Mitsuru-senpai not here?"

"Nope." Akihiko answered. "She'll be here tomorrow."

"That's good to know." He said as he looked around. "Sissy not back yet?"

Akihiko shook his head. "Nope. What did she have today?"

"We went to Fashion club today, but the leader there isn't really up to doing anything today. So Sissy volunteered to stay behind to clean up."

"Sounds like something she would do."

"She's probably making something, too." He said as he noticed Junpei, sitting there with a game console in his hand, not even bothering to look up or say anything. 'Give him space for now.' He thought as he mentioned about going to bed and headed up.

xxx

With Minako, she did end up making something and then cleaned up and headed out to go to the dorm.

When she got there, Mitsuru was just walking up the small steps to the doors. "Senpai!"

"Oh, Minako-chan, you're out late."

"Yeah, I was working on something in Fashion club and didn't keep track of the time." She said as she reached into her bag and held out a phone charm. "Here! I made this one for you!"

Mitsuru looked surprised as she picked the charm up and saw that it was a hand-knit charm of some odd character. "You made this by hand alone?"

"Yeah, I didn't know what you would like, so if you don't like it-"

"Oh no! I love it!" Mitsuru said. "I'm really happy to receive this."

Minako was glad to hear that as she was about to say something but smiled. "It's getting a little chilly out here, isn't?"

"Oh, yes." She said as she opened the door and the two entered to find the lounge area is empty.

"What time is it?" Minako asked as she looked at the time. "Everyone retired early."

"You should also get some rest." Mitsuru said.

"Yeah." She said as she followed the senior up to the third floor, looking down to her bag. 'Looks like I'll give Junpei his charm later.' She thought as she turned in for the night.


	90. Episode 89: The Night Club Monk

Ep. 89: The Night Club Monk

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/9-

The next morning, Minato was tired as usual as Minako dragged him out of bed, literally, having a bump at the back of his head to prove it, and they made their way to school where they overheard the usual gossiping students talking about the school building, but what got their attention was that there was an explosion where there school was ten years ago.

"An explosion, huh…" Minato said. "I thought it was strange that there was a school here…"

"Huh? Really?"

"Don't you remember? We've never heard of this school when we lived here before."

"We were still in elementary…" She said. "How can you possibly remember something like a high school?"

"I guess…" He said as they continued on into the building. "But I guess Yukari has a point, about why the Kirijo group would want to invest having a school built here. But I doubt she's hiding anything."

"Yeah, I'm sure there's a reason or it's not that important."

Minato could see the logic in that, but maybe Yukari's overthinking of things may have some merit to their involvement in the whole scheme of things. But he's not going to bother with that now as they reached their classroom.

"Morning Junpei!" Minako said as Junpei looked back, waved to her and continued to talk to some of his buddies, who were now giving him an odd look. This made her sad a little, but she took it as a sign that she shouldn't approach him today. 'Is he really that bitter?' She thought as she sat down.

Minato can tell his sister was down when Junpei practically gave her the cold shoulder. Sure he looked back to her and waved when she said her greeting, but to brush her off like that ticked him off, but he look to his sister and they made eye contact; and he sighed as he sat down. "I'll keep my distance, I promise on our parents graves." He said, making her smile gratefully. 'Sissy… you're too nice sometimes. Oh well, at least he's not trying to hurt her on purpose.' He thought as class started.

xxxxx

Their classes ended for the day and Minato was asked by Fuuka to accompany her to go to the mall to purchase some spices for the next cooking club session, apologizing to Minako who said it was okay and was honestly not in the mood to cook and saw them off.

Minako sighed as she looked at her bag where she brought the charm she made with her to give to Junpei, who left the room and met up with his pals as soon as class was over. But she decided that she would give it to him when he comes talk to her, right now, she feels, he's being stubborn and just needed some space. But that doesn't mean that she wasn't bothered by this and knowing that she couldn't do anything about her made her feel anxious.

She got up and headed over to the Home Economics room and took out things to cook with. She did say that she wasn't in the mood to cook earlier, but she didn't want to head home either and just started making some treats, filling the room with the sweet scent of both chocolate truffles and sugar cookies.

"Minako-chan?" She turned to see Mitsuru in the room when she pulled out the sugar cookies. "What are you still doing here?"

She looked up at the time and saw that it was a bit late. "I didn't feel like going home yet." She said as she placed the pan of cookies out to cool.

"Is something the matter?" Mitsuru asked as she went up to her. "You usually don't have that look on your face."

"I'm making a weird face?" She asked, wondering if her discomfort of Junpei's coldness really was affecting her that badly.

"In a way." She said as she looked at the cooled chocolate truffles, asked if she could try one, and took one to take a small bite of it. "Not bad… but somehow it isn't your best." She looked at the junior girl. "And I know you made much better ones in the past."

Minako smiled wryly, knowing that Mitsuru can taste the difference. "I guess my heart wasn't in it… I just want something to do."

"I've been noticing that." Mitsuru said as she finished the one truffle as she studied the girl. "May I ask what is on your mind?"

Minako sighed as she would like to talk to someone at this point. She couldn't really talk to her brother, since he would definitely step up to Junpei and might cause more problems, Yukari would probably say the wrong things if she tried to confront Junpei, she didn't want to trouble with Akihiko with her problems with Junpei, since he was a bit like her brother to a degree, and Fuuka is too kind to get involved in. She doesn't know what the senior girl would do, but she trusts her enough to at least hear her out. "Well…" She started as she explained what happened after their fight with the Shadow and when she and Akihiko went on ahead of them. "And now I don't know what to do…" She said as she told the other her troubles. "I know I should give him some space, but I also don't like how he's giving me the cold shoulder." She sighed. "But all I could do at this point is wait for him to sort it out on his own, as much as I want to know what he's thinking, it's not my place to do so." She looks up to the senior girl, who has been listening to her. "Am I making the right choice?"

Mitsuru looked serious at the girl. "I'm not at liberty to tell you that." She said. "What is it you decide?"

Minako blinked as she looked down at her cooling cookies. "I think… I'm doing the right thing and not coming up to him about how I feel about how he's acting. I'm a bit closer to him than Brother is, so I know if I should stay behind the line or go over it, but it still hurts…" She felt a hand on her shoulder as she looked up to see the senior girl.

"You have a kind heart, Minako-chan. It's not easy, but I believe you're doing the right thing as well."

Minako smiled as she felt like crying a little out of relief to have someone to talk to about this. "Thank you Senpai… I really wanted to talk to someone about this." She said.

"I'm happy to hear that." Mitsuru said, truly touched by this. "Are you finished here? I'll walk home with you."

"Oh, yeah, I'm done here." She said as she and Mitsuru cleaned up the room, packed the cookies and the truffles and headed out of the school grounds.

xxx

With Minato, he and Fuuka were in the Palowina Mall as he waited on her in the Pharmacy when she went up to him, holding a bag of what looks like a lot of spice bottles.

"I apologize for taking so long." Fuuka said. "I had to go to the pharmacy to buy some special spices…" She sighed. "I don't know why, though. Even if I use them, I doubt they'll make any difference…" She seemed depressed before she seemed to catch herself and look up to Minato. "I'm sorry you came all the way here. To be honest, my cooking still doesn't taste very good…" She sighed. ""It's not the way I make it, it's just… When I'm cooking, I think to myself, 'This isn't going to taste good…'" She bowed her head down. "I just wish I was good at something…"

"I'm sure there's something." Minato said, making the girl look up.

"What, that I'm good at…?" Fuuka said. "Well, I'm pretty good with mechanical devices… Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to boast…" She seemed embarrassed. "I told this to Minako-chan, but my dad used to tinker with audio equipment in his spare time." She told him what she told the other before sighing. "I mean, it's not a very feminine hobby.

"I don't think so." Minato said, making her look surprise.

"Oh, Minato-kun…" She said as she seems happy. "Thank you." She smiled. "You and Minako-chan are always so understanding. You two help me to think positively… You're really supportive…"

Minato was glad to hear that as he felt his bond with her grow a little stronger as Fuuka blushed.

"Sorry I made you wait so long. Well, um… We should head back to the dorm now."

"Yeah." He said as they headed over to the dorm.

xxxxx

Once they got there, they met up with Mitsuru and Minako, talking a bit before Mitsuru headed up stairs to do her studying as Minako saw them come in and greeted them and helped Fuuka out in sorting the spices into an orderly fashion, only to see that there was just too much spices to put in place.

"Looks like we're going to have to go out to get a spice rack now." Minako said.

"I'm sorry… I should've realized how much space it would've taken up." Fuuka said, sounding guilty.

"Don't worry about it, Fuuka-chan. It's a good thing, because now we can cook a bit more with more options." She said with wide smile. "And with a spice rack we can see what we need without having to look through in the cabinet."

"Oh!"

"So, back out to the mall?" Minato said as Minako nodded. "Okay. I'm not ready to turn in yet."

"Do you want me to come as well?" Fuuka asked.

"That's okay, Fuuka-chan." Minako said. "You have that tough science class to work on, right? The finals are coming up."

"Oh right." Fuuka said as she bid them good night and headed up stairs as the twins headed out to the mall.

xxxxx

Once they were there, they were about to head to the pharmacy when they heard a couple guys saying something about a crazy monk in the Escapade night club and Minako mentioned that she heard about a monk in a club from Rio some time back and Minato admitted he heard something similar and decided to check this monk out.

When they entered the night club, it was like any typical night club with a good enough size crowd, not too crowded, but not too packed, as they couldn't see the monk on the dance floor or the tables nearby along the side, before seeing the stairs and they went up, only to see only one person on the single loft of the club, wearing a monk's outfit, smoking a cigar.

The man looked their way, but his eyes didn't seem focused as he took the cigar out of his mouth. "Booze! Where's my booze!" He shouted at them, but they didn't run away, having enough courage to do so. "I don't got nothin' to say to anyone who doesn't have any booze."

The twins looked at each other as they headed down and saw a bartender, seeming to be on break and went up to him.

"Excuse me sir." Minako said, gaining the man's attention.

"Hey, what'll ya ha—" The bartender started to say as he noticed their uniforms. "Uh, aren't you a little too young to be in here?" He then shrugged. "Well, I guess you can stay. Just don't cause any trouble, alright?"

"We would like a drink." Minato said bluntly.

"Huh? You want a drink? You're underange, aren't you?"

"It's not for us, sir, it's for the monk upstairs." Minako said.

"I see. In that case, how 'bout you do me a favor first…" He said as he pointed to the crowd. "Can you go around and take everyone's order? If you do that, I'll bring a drink upstairs for him."

"Sounds fair." Minato said as he and his sister separated to take orders before reporting back to the bartender, who then made and delivered the drinks before coming back, smiling.

"Hey, you two got everyone's order right. Thanks for your help." The bartender said gratefully. "What was it that you wanted? Oh yeah, a drink for that monk upstairs. I bet he wants brandy again." He sighed as he went behind the bar and got the drink and took it up to him.

They followed the bartender to where the monk sat as the monk looked up and the bartender mentioned them getting the drink for him and left them there to continue his job.

The monk studied them and seemed impressed at the two. "You two look awfully young. You still in high school?" The monk said he shook his head. "What're the employees here thinkin', lettin' you two in?" He took a suck of the cigar before blowing the smoke out. "Well, since ya got me a drink, I'll pretend I'm your parent so ya don't get thrown outta here." He pointed to the spot next to him. "Well? C'mon, sit down. Havin' to look up at you two is strainin' my neck."

With that the twins sat down on the couch adjacent to the monk as he chuckled.

"So, you two wanted to see where adults spend their time, eh? Well, don't worry, in two or three more years you'll be old enough to hang out here unsupervised." He eyed them lazily. "Just take it easy. You'll be legal before ya know it. No need to rush. Actin' like an adult only makes ya look more like a kid." He then chuckled. "I guess that sounds funny comin' from an alcohol-drinkin', cigar-smokin' monk, eh?"

"Does liquor taste good?" Minako asked curious as she looked at the brandy, which reminded her of some kind of some kind of soda of the same color.

"Some say it does…" The monk said as he took the glass and gulped half of the glass down. "I just drink to get drunk. It makes me feel good."

"What does a cigar taste like?" Minato asked as the monk studied his cigar.

"Like leaves. It may sound funny, but I can't describe it any other way." He said with a shrug. "I just smoke cuz it clears my head." He took a deep inhale of the cigar smoke before exhaling it out of his mouth. "You two seem to be optimistic about the future…" He said with a lazy look. "Well, don't get your hopes up too high. That way you won't be disappointed when things don't work out. Cuz then you'll hafta smoke and drink just to get through the day…" He watched as the two were patiently listening to him. "You're nothin' like those punks I see runnin' 'round town these days. Can't say the same for my son, though…" He laughed a bit bitterly. "Always bein' taken in by the police for questioning..." He smiled as he pointed to them. "I'm gonna remember your faces. And the next time you come in here, I'm gonna have you two thrown out. Got it?"

The two smiled at this as they felt a faint bond forming between them and the monk as he gulped down the rest of his brandy.

"Well, when you've had your fill, go home…" He lazily glared at them "and don't come back."

And with that the twins said their good nights to the monk and left the club, went to the Pharmacy to get the spice rack, and headed back to the dorm for a good night's sleep.


	91. Ep90:Chihiro'sConfession andYukari's

Ep. 90: Chihiro's Confession and Yukari's Shopping Spree

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/10-

The next morning, the twins were in their classroom as Mr. Edogawa, the school nurse, was teaching for one of their teachers and listened to the lecture while fighting off the sleep spell that seemed to come along with the lectures.

After the school day was over, the twins were wondering what they should do when Minato saw Chihiro outside of the classroom and told Minako that she was going to hang out with Chihiro and left when the other said confirmed that she heard him.

With Minako she was gathering her stuff as Minato left when Yukari came up to her.

"Hey there."

"Hey Yukari-chan." She said.

"Do you wanna hang out for a bit? Or are you busy?"

"Sure, I don't really have anything to do around here."

"Great!" Yukari said as they headed out of the classroom and towards the mall.

xxx

With Minato, he met up with Chihiro, who looks as though she has something important to tell him. "What's up?"

"Um…" She said as she blushed. "W-Would you… Like to come home with me? There's something I like to give you."

"Okay." He said, not really sure what she wanted to give him, but he followed her out of the school building and headed to her house and entered to go up to her room. Which at that point, they simply talked about different things, enjoying each others' company when Chihiro took out the three books that they saw in the book store some time ago.

"Remember these? This is the illustration collection I wanted… Remember?" She asked as he nodded. "I bought all three." She said as she smiled. "I blew my whole allowance… but it was worth it!" She set the books down and held out a different book to him. "This book was done by the same artist. Would you like to borrow it, if you're interested…?" She then blushed. "Just promise to think of me when you read it…"

"Thank you." He said as he took the book. He normally doesn't read girl manga, but this was something special to his dear friend, and he would be a complete ass if he didn't at least look give it a chance.

"Um, n-no problem…" She said as she seems happy. "I've read it so many times that I've practically got it memorized." Then her cell went off, excused him for the call, and answered it.

He looked at the time to see it was getting a bit late and mentioned it to her when she stopped him.

"W-Wait! My mother just called…" She said as she blushed. "She says she had to stay late at work… I-I've heard that there've been assaults on women in this area… I-I really don't want to be alone…" She looks up at him a bit pleadingly. "Please stay… Just a little while longer…"

He understood her fear, but it was getting late and it was one of those days that he forgot his phone. "It's getting late…"

"Th-Thirty mintues! Please!" She said, sounding a little desperate as she gripped his jacket sleeve. "I want you to stay, Minato-san!" She hid her face as she calmed down a little. "I know I'm being selfish… Not like you, Minato-san… You're such a great person, and you make those around you happy too…" She then hugged his arm. "I wish I could have you all to myself… So, please grant me this one last wish…" She looked up at him, her face flushed from the embarrassment of admitting something so intimate. "Please… For this special moment, think only of me…"

Minato could feel his face warm up intensely as he knew she admitted her love for him as he felt the bond he has with her become unbreakable, making his chest hurt, but he nodded.

"Okay…" He said as she seemed happy to hear that as she rested her head to his chest.

"Minato-san… It's so warm being near you…" She said, sounding so content for this moment.

Minato shared this tender moment with her before her mother came home, which she was a kind and hard working woman who thanked him for being her friend, noticing a great change in confidence in Chihiro, and then left to head back to the dorm.

xxx

With Minako, she and Yukari made it to the mall as Yukari pointed to the Pharmacy.

"Wanna start off at the pharmacy? I ran out of my color of lip gloss, but what do you think?" Yukari asked and, before Minako could respond, her cell went off. "Hang on, I've got a phone call." She answered it, only for her look to darken. "Oh… Hello. Yeah… What?" She sighed. "So? Get to the point, okay?" Her eyes then widen. "Huh?" She then looked angry. "It's not funny!"

Minako knew who it was on the other line as she saw Yukari get even angrier.

"What!? How do you think that would make Dad feel!?" Yukari said as she sighed. "Fine. Do whatever you want." She spat. "Just don't call me again!" She yelled at the phone before closing her cell and took a few deep breaths.

"Yukari-chan…" Minako said softly as the other girl looked at her before calming down.

"Sorry."

"Are you all right?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah… I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Yukari said, though she looked a little worn out from that small display of emotions. "You know who I was on the phone with, right"

"Mom…"

"Yeah, it was my mom." Yukari said as she sighed. "She says she wants to get remarried…"

"And you don't want that?" She asked as the other girl shrugged.

"I don't really care if she wants to get married again, but I can't stand how she's been living… Running away from life, jumping from guy to guy…" She looked down at the cell in her hand. "I don't think that's fair to my dad." She bit her lower lip, obviously upset by this.

Minako stood by her quietly as the other calmed down again, in which she took a deep breath as she put her cell away.

"Sorry, I'm okay now." Yukari said as she looked back up at the other. "Thanks." She then looked at the fountain in front of them and glared at some unseen object. "I'll never be like her. I'll never be that weak… Running away to forget your problems is the worst thing you can do. I've decided that I'm gonna live on my own. I'll show her that I can be happy that way."

Minako knew that what she heard was the other girl's most innermost feelings as she felt her bond with her grow a bit stronger as Yukari smiled and looked her way.

"Thank you. For some reason, I feel like I can tell you anything, Minako." She said with a blush on her cheeks before looking cheered up. "That's it! I'm going on a shopping spree today!" She grabbed the other girl's arm. "And you're coming with me, Minako!"

"W-Wait!" Minako said as she nearly tripped over her own feet trying to catch up with the other girl and kept her company until her shopping spree worn down.

xxxxx

"Oh man! We bought a lot of stuff!" Yukari said as there were five large bags at their feet when they sat down on the bench near the fountain, eating some ice cream.

"Yeah…" Minako said as she looked at their five large bags that held two to three other smaller bags in them. 'I'm good with clothes for a while now…' She thought as she blushed at the memory of Yukari forcing her into one of the dressing room cubicals and practically stripping her of her uniform and putting clothes on, teasing her out of fun about her surprised sounds and to keep it down since she made it sound like they were making out, which wasn't funny by any means. But she has to hand it to Yukari for picking out pretty fashionable clothes for her to wear, even hinting that it might turn on a certain boxer champion, in which she practically whined saying that Akihiko wasn't like that and that they were only friends.

"A good girl friend knows her intuition when it comes to love. And you are in denial." Yukari said when Minako tried to defend herself.

"It's getting late, huh?" Yukari said. "We should probably head back. I'm a bit tired after shopping so much."

"Yeah, I'm a bit worn out as well." Minako said, a bit relieved that the shopping spree has finally ended and they got up with bags in their hands as Yukari made a questionable sound. "What's up?"

"We should really do something with your hair one of these days." Yukari said. "That one day when you had it down was so adorable!"

Minako blushed. "You remembered that day?" She asked as they headed out of the mall and made their way to the dorm.

"Who would forget that?" Yukari said. "Please let me work on your hair sometime!"

Minako smiled and nodded. "Okay…"

"Great!" Yukari said as they chatted about other things until they reached to the dorm.

xxxxx

Once they entered, Minako went in first and she looked up to see Junpei as he greeted them.

"S'up dude…" He said, only to catch himself. "Uh… I better go study, since exams are coming up." He then headed upstairs.

"Wow, him actually studying? What brought that on?" Yukari said as Minako seemed a little sad. "What's wrong?" She asked only to take a guess. "Are you a bit upset about what he said after that one night after we defeated that large Shadow?"

"Something like that, but I'm a little happy. He hasn't talked to me until now. I don't know what that means though…"

"Jeeze! He's just being stubborn because of his stupid guy pride." Yukari said as she mentioned the girl to get up the stairs. "Come on! I wanna see the outfits you bought again! I wanna work out what kind of hair style fits best for it!"

"Huh!? B-But… I have to study!"

"Study later!" Yukari said as Minako had no choice in the matter as she followed Yukari up to her room.

xxx

Minato came in not too long after that and headed up the stairs to head to the shared room when he heard his sister's voice in Yukari's room, knocking on it to know if everything was alright."

"Oh! Minato!" Yukari called as she went up to open the door. "It's a great thing you came by! We need a guy's opinion on this!" She moved to the side to point out Minako in her new outfit and her hair was down with a white hair band. "What do you think?"

Minako wore a white sundress with a pale pink ribbon around the waist, a small, long-sleeved knit sweater that was open at the front, showing a boat neckline, which was adorned with pale, pink and yellow butterflies, which were seen on random spots on the dress as well, where there's a lace design at the frill of the bottom skirt.

Minato stared at his sister for a moment. "You're too cute." He said simply. "Never wear that out of the dorm."

"Quite being so overprotective!" Yukari said.

"Don't ask a brother how cute his sister is."

"What's going on here?" Akihiko called as he went up to Minato. "Are you two arguing again?" He then looked up to see Minako and his eyes widened. "M-Minako-chan?"

"Hi, Akihiko-senpai." Minako said with a bit of a wave.

"Oh! Senpai! What do you think?" Yukari asked.

"H-Huh!?"

"How does she look? I asked Minato, but he's having a sister complex issue."

"Maybe I do, but there's good reason for that." Minato said as he looked at Akihiko, who knew he had to be careful with his answer.

"Yeah, well, anyway, we need another guy's opinion on this." Yukari said, not reading the atmosphere. "So? What do you think of Minako's new look?"

Akihiko looked at Minako again, only to see another girl that radiated the same kind of innocence. "It's quite fitting." He said, now having difficulty seeing Minako and his little sister as separate individuals. "But I wouldn't wear that out and about alone. Too many chances of guys hitting on you."

"You too!?" Yukari said as Minako giggled.

"It's fine." Minako said as she blushed. "It just means they really like it. If they're that worried about me."

"Good point." Yukari said as Akihiko left. "Huh? Senpai?"

"I just wanted to make sure you're not killing each other." He said as he headed down to the second level.

"I'll be in the room when you're done here, okay?" Minato said to his sister as he said good night to Yukari.

Yukari said good night as well and sighed. "Well that was kinda disappointing, but at least they said you were really cute."

Minako nodded as she yawned. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Yeah, it has been quite a day." Yukari agreed as Minako gathered her stuff, both said their good nights, and went to their rooms for the night.


	92. Ep91: About an Event Ten Years Ago

Ep. 91: About an Event Ten Years Ago…

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/11-

The twins were heading up to the school building when Minako saw Junpei and their eyes met.

"Hey, what's up…?" Junpei said, seeming to make an effort to talk to them.

"Doing okay…" She said.

"Fine." Minato said, knowing that this became an uncomfortable scenario.

"Uh, exams are pretty soon…" Junpei said. "Have you been studyin'?"

"Yep." She said.

"Nah." He said.

"Seriously?" He said as he shrugged and looked away. "Like I care…" And with that headed to the building.

Minato was about to go up to the other when his sister stopped him.

"Stop it… please…" She said as she felt her brother's shoulder slack and a heavy sigh was heard.

"Okay… Only because you asked me to." He said as they headed to class.

xxxxx

The day went on as normal as they sat through their lecture lessons and did their in-class assignments before the day finally ended for the class.

The twins were getting their stuff packed into their bags when their cells went off with a text from Akihiko.

'Ikutsuki-san is coming tonight. He has something to tell us. We'll meet on the 4th floor as soon as everyone is back.'

The twins looked at each other as they nodded while heading out of the school building.

"Let see how Maiko is doing." Minato said.

"Yeah, I'm worried about her." Minako said as they headed to the shrine.

xxxxx

When they arrived, they found her in the middle of the jungle gym, curled up with her head on her knees and her arms around her legs. The sight alone broke their hearts as they made their way in the jungle gym to sit next to the girl, who looked up to see who was with her.

"Oh… Minako, Minato… You came…"

"We did…" Minato said as he placed a hand on the girl's head. "What happened?"

The girl sniffed as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I can't handle it anymore! Mom and Dad just keep fighting… I yelled at them to please stop fighting so much. But they just told me to leave them alone." Fresh tears fell from her eyes as she tried to wipe those away as well. "So I made up my mind! I have to run away from home!"

Minako placed her hand on the girl's back and rubbed small circles there. "Calm down, okay?" She said as the girl nodded.

"You're right. This is no time to be selfish." She said as she calmed down a bit before sighing, looking determined with her red puffy eyes. "But I made up my mind, and I'm going to run away! I'd better start packing soon…" She then started to crawl out of the jungle gym, making the other two do the same, and once they were out she continued. "So…" She looked up to the two. "What do you think I need to pack if I'm running away from home? I'll need lots of snacks, right? What about my health insurance card?"

The two didn't really want to encourage her to run away, but maybe this will be the wake-up call the parents needed in order to put aside their differences.

"That's good enough." Minato said, knowing that, as long as she has a health insurance card, then if she did successfully run away for more than a day and needed to go to a hospital, then at least the card will lead the parents to her.

"Really? Wow! Running away is easier than I thought!" Maiko said happily. "Now… I just have to decide when I can sneak out." She looked deep in thought before looking up at the two juniors once more. "Either way, I'm going to try!"

"Maiko-chan…" Minako said as the little girl smiled up at her.

"Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine, okay?" She then looked a bit down. "I'm gonna miss you guys, though… It won't be easy to be alone."

The twins can feel their bond with the little girl grow a bit stronger as she smiled up to them.

"Once I run away, Mom and Dad will have to work together to find me." She giggled at the thought. "This is gonna be great! It takes a lot of hard work to get ready to run away."

"Y-Yeah…" The twins said in unison as they played with her a bit before she mentioned that she's ready to go home, grabbed their hands, and walked her home. Once they told the little girl good night, they made their way back to the dorm.

"Shouldn't we have said something?" Minako asked as Minato shook his head.

"No… When the time comes, we'll be there to be sure she's okay." Minato said as he look to her. "For now, we have to support her choice."

Minako nodded as she sighed. "She has more confidence than we did when we talked about running away…" She looked up at the darkening sky. "How many times did we talk about that?"

"More than I could count on both hands." He said. "But there's that nagging feeling…"

"Yeah… As if, if we tried to accomplish that, we wouldn't be here at all… It's almost bittersweet when you think about it…"

Minato nodded as they were closing in on the dorm, walked up the steps and went into the dorm where there were a few others at the lounge.

"Welcome back." Mitsuru said as she looked at the two. "You two have good timing."

"Oh, hello you two." The Chairman said as he walked out of the restroom. "Well! Now that everyone is here, let's head up to the command room." And with that everyone walked up the stairs and entered the command room to be seated and waited for the Chairman to begin.

"So then, Mitsuru, can you fill in the report of what happened in your last fight with the large Shadow." He asked as Mitsuru gave an account, leaving out the very embarrassing parts of the mission.

"So, that's what happened on the night of the seventh." Mitsuru concluded. "It was a difficult operation."

"I see." The Chairman said as he had a thoughtful look on his face. "They're getting tougher…" He then smiled. "But, it's not all bad news… I called today's meeting because-"

"I'm sorry." Yukari interrupted. "Before we go on, I'd like to ask Mitsuru-senpai something.

"Me…?" Mitsuru said, sounding a bit confused as the twins felt something icy and heavy fall into the bottom of their guts, forgetting that Yukari has been a bit hostile towards the senior girl for a little while now.

"Since I joined, so many things have happened…" Yukari started. "I went along with it, without really understanding what was going on… But now, I need to know." She then looked determined as she looked at the senior girl dead in the eyes. "I'm gonna ask you straight out… You've been hiding something from us, haven't you, Senpai? You act like you don't know anything about the Dark Hour and Tartarus, but they're related to that accident ten years ago, aren't they?"

The twins remembered what the gossiping students were talking about the other day and were now partially curious to know more what's going on, but both feel there could've been a better way to get that answer than this.

"What accident?" Junpei said, the first thing he said in sometime.

"Y-Yukari-chan…" Fuuka said, looking surprised.

Minato remembered the time when Yukari and Fuuka left to talk alone and now it made sense on what that talk was really about.

"There was an explosion near our school, and a lot of people died…" Yukari explained. "It must've been big news back then. You know about it, don't you?"

"Yes…" Mitsuru said, staying calm as she listened to this.

"Luckily, no students were injured." Yukari continued. "But… around the same time, a large number of students were recorded as absent. Seems like more than just a coincidence."

"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked.

"I dug up some old school records, and found something interesting. The students who were absent… They all collapsed suddenly, and had to be hospitalized. Sound familiar? You know, like the girls who bullied Fuuka… There has to be an explaination! What really happened on the day of that accident? The Kirijo Group built our school, so you must know something! Tell me the truth!"

Mitsuru did look a little uncomfortable, but she was still poised and calm. "I wasn't trying to hide anything from you. It just never seemed relevant." She said. "But…" She was going to continue when the Chairman placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

Mitsuru didn't make a recognition that she believes that, but she continued on. "Alright. I'll tell you the whole story. The Shadows have many mysterious abilities. Some research indicates that they can even affect time and space. We think of them as our enemies, but what if we could somehow use them to our advantage? They would be a source of unimaginable power, wouldn't they?"

"What?" Yukari said, sounding surprised as Mitsuru continued.

"Fourteen years ago, one man pursued that line of thinking. He was the former leader of the Kirijo Group, Kirijo Kouetsu… My grandfather."

There was a moment of pausing silence as this was sunk in with everyone. The twins didn't show any kind of emotion as Mitsuru continued her tale.

"My grandfather was obsessed with the Shadows. He wanted to harness their power for something extraordinary."

"Like what?" Fuuka asked.

"He assembled a team of top scientists, and over several years, he put together an impressive collection of Shadows."

"He what!?" Junpei said. "Damn, that's freakin' crazy!"

"However… ten years ago, during the final stages of the experiment, they lost control of the Shadows' power. And in the process, the very nature of the world was altered."

"Oh my…" Fuuka said. "Do you mean…?"

"Yes… Tartarus and the Dark Hour." There was another pausing silence to let the information sink in. "By their account, the mass of Shadows they collected split into several large ones that then dispersed. These are the Shadows we've been encountering on nights when the moon is full."

"Is that why they've appeared in different places?" Fuuka asked.

"Wait a minute…" Yukari spoke up. "If what you said is true, then why did our school turn into Tartarus?" She then gasped. "Don't tell me… That's where they conducted the experiment!?"

Mitsuru looked down with a guilt look on her face. "Yes…"

"Then… those students who were hospitalized…" Yukari said still looking shocked.

"I'm afraid it's just as you're thinking." Mitsuru said as she looked back up once more. "Port Island must have been an ideal location for them. It was a highly-populated area, and the Kirijo Group had influence there. They could do as they pleased… As you guessed, the experiment ten years ago was conducted at Gekkoukan High School."

"Does that mean…" Yukari said as her tone became angry, "all we've been doing is cleaning up their mess!? You lied to us?" Mitsuru looked away as she looked at Akihiko. "You knew too, didn't you, Senpai!? They've just been using us! Or, do you not care as long as you get to fight?"

Minako can see that Yukari was now slightly blind from her anger and wanted to stop this, but she was held back by Minato, who shook his head.

"I never said anything like that!" Akihiko said. "I have my reasons…"

"Think what you'd like…" Mitsuru said, still not looking up. "It was my decision not to share that information. I'm sorry." She then looked up, looking calm but serious. "I never intended to deceive you." She looked at the juniors in the room. "Convincing you to join SEES was my highest priority. As absurd as it may seem, only we – with our Personas – can fight the Shadows."

"How could you…!?" Yukari was about to say when Mitsuru finished.

"Besides… some of us were never given a choice. I…"

"Mitsuru…" Akihiko said, concern was evident in his tone. "Don't."

"Yukari…" The Chairman spoke, looking serious and calm. "It's those in the past who are to blame. And they lost their lives as a result of what they did…" He waved his hand around the room. "We're all in the same boat, here; none of us deserve the burden that's been thrust upon us."

"But…" Yukari said weakly as she couldn't say anything more.

"It's been ten years since that incident… No one knows why those Shadows suddenly returned." The Chairman continued. "But, since they're active, at least we can find and destroy them… Do you realize what this means?" He adjusted his glasses. "What if I told you that those twelve Shadows are the cause of everything?"

"Then, if we defeat them all," Akihiko said, "Tartarus and the Dark Hour will disappear…?"

"Exactly!" The Chairman said with a smile. "That's what I was going to tell you earlier. See, it's good news, isn't it?"

"Is that true!?" Fuuka said, seeming surprised.

"There's evidence to support it." The Chairman said. "Now, our true battle begins."

"I see…" Yukari said, but she didn't sound too convinced.

"Regardless of what's happened in the past, we must fight to protect the people." The Chairman continued. "The Shadows are gaining strength. We can't afford to just wait for them."

"Indeed." Mitsuru agreed.

"And there are many mysteries still surrounding Tartarus. Why did such a gigantic structure appear in the first place? The answer must lie within it."

"Six left…" Minato said. "We have six of those Shadows left."

"Yeah…" Minako said as the sense of dismissal was in the air as she and her brother got up. "Anything else?"

"Well, that's about all." The Chairman said as he chuckled. "Oh don't look so gloom you two! I understand that, as leaders, you're top priority is to keep everyone in your group safe, but this really is good news as I've said before. And why should you worry? You two have the ability to call up many Personas, who knows how many that you two have in combination?"

Junpei looked bitter at that.

"If you say so." Minato said as he headed to the door. "I'm going to bed…"

Minako wished that the Chairman didn't mention about their special condition, especially in front of Junpei, but she followed her brother, followed by the other members as a thick uncomfortable atmosphere hung up in the air.


	93. Episode 92: A Thick Air pt1

Ep. 92: A Thick Air pt.1

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/12-

The next morning was a day off and Minako didn't feel like staying inside, and left the room while her brother watched the Tanaka show. She allowed him to order something from the show, since they know the man better than anyone at this point, as strange as that sounds, and decided it was just going to be one of those days that she doesn't have anything to do but simply walk around. 'I wonder if Theo has some small quests for me to do today?' She thought as she gave herself the first objective of the day.

When she headed out of the room, the atmosphere still felt heavy, crushing her almost it seems, but no one was up and about that she could see, but she'll just worry about that later, the day was clear and bright for her and she wasn't going to waste it.

"Minako-chan?" Mitsuru spoke up when the said junior was about to head out.

"Oh, morning Mitsuru-senpai." She said as she went up to her.

"Are you heading out?"

"Yeah… I don't like to waste a perfect day like today."

"I see…" She said, with a calm smile, but her eyes were telling different story. "You have fun then."

Minako, ever since she started living in the dorm, she became a bit better in her perceptions. "Mitsuru-senpai? Don't worry about me and Toto-nii, we really don't mind doing what we do."

Mitsuru was a bit surprised that the other could read her so easily, but at the same time was a bit relieved to not say it herself. "I'm sorry about it though…"

"True we would've liked to know about the origin from the get go, but then we would've found out eventually." Minako said with a smile. "Try not to worry so much. Besides, if not for this, Toto-nii and I wouldn't feel as though we have anything to look forward to. Leader or not, we're glad to be a part of this. And, even though we're in a bit in the dark of a lot of things, including you I can tell, we're going to figure it all out together. No matter where it leads."

"Minako-chan…" Mitsuru said, surprised to hear this. "You truly are impressive."

Minako giggled. "I just try not to let things like that get to me. Life's too short for holding grudges and having a pity party of one. That's one thing I've learned before coming here, and I'm not going to let the past get to me. It's okay to look back, as a reminder of how we came to be at this moment, but there's still so much to experience." She giggled. "For all I know, something crazy will happen in the next five minutes that will make everything go out of proportion!"

Mitsuru smiled as she shook her head. "Sounds like a good way to see things."

"It works for me." She said with a giggle. "I'll see you later then."

"Be careful."

"Usually am!" And with that Minako was greeted with the sun light in her face and the rush of energy to get the day started.

xxx

Minato, in the meantime, ordered some things from the show and turned on the laptop to see if Maya was online and logged in. His character is inside the Lunarvale Hospital, where Maya is in the room.

'_listen tatsuya! ;) nowadays I just log on to MMOs with bedhead and all (like today lol) but when I was little, ppl said I was a real cutie -_-;; guess I missed my chance rite? Nobody thinks I'm hawt ne more T_T …do men only want younger women? Be honest w/ me =3'_

Minato shrugged, because in a way it's true and typed that in.

'_yeah, I thought so. Everyone knows it but it sux to hear for real… orz T_T fair is fair tho =P I go for teenagers, myself ^_^ I'm bad, rite?'_ Maya replied and seems pretty happy. _'but I didn't make sense? I should know better – I teach composition! o_O;; mkay, I'll be calm. I'll compose my bitching carefully for you ;P one of my coworkers is really pissing me off. I'm trying to avoid her _ we use to teach the same grade and we were together ALL THE TIME its been a while but that kinda thing sticks w/u, u know? ne way, she said she needed some advice, but then she just started bragging! =( some student asked her out, and a guy she doesn't like proposed to her… UGH! And she acts like its nothing! omg, rite? I hate skanky hoes like her! Just give puppy-dog eyes and guys do whatever! She even stuffs her bra! lol'_

Minato blinked at what he just read. 'Wait… Maya's a teacher… her coworker said she was asked out by a student, and is proposed to a guy… Oh god… Don't tell me…' He thought as he typed in: _'She um… what?'_ He couldn't bring himself to let her know he attends the school. It could be a coincidence.

'… _u know too much, tatsuya but that's rite, she's got fake tits'_ Maya responded as she typed in a laughing line and seems to be enjoying herself. _'omg for reals, i saw K-san running in late one time, ok? her pads fell down and it looked like she had 4! O_O XDDD … theyre fake for sure =) … an my school is FULL of teachers like that! -_-; man tatsuya, talkin to u is better than getting a massage =P ::blush:: complaining online is now an important part of my days off ^_^'_

Minato can sense that Maya likes talking to him as he felt his bond with this person get stronger.

'_we r s'posed to be fighting demons from hell, rite? ;) …but after what I said, I might go to hell ne way o_O;; well… I rented sum DVDs, sooo… later, tatsuya! Thx for chattin'_ And with that Maya signed off.

Minato sat back in his chair and sighed. "Man… That was too much information to know about Kanou-san…" He said to no one in particular as he thought about Kenji and that time when they witnessed the teacher with the other guy. "Poor Kenji…" He took a deep breath as he figured, if the events of tomorrow will allow him, he would hang out with Kenji, to be sure he was doing okay.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, in the back alley of Tatsumi Port Island, Akihiko headed there to go up to Shinjiro, who was sitting on a rusted barrel. "Nothing to do as usual, huh?" He said, gaining the other's attention.

"Hmph… Why're you here?" Shinjiro asked. "If you came here to try and convince me, then forget it."

"It's nothing like that." Akihiko said. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"Huh?"

"We've known each other for a long time… It's been almost fourteen years since we met at the orphanage…" He smiled at the memory. "You, me, and Miki… We used to run around here until the sun went down." He looked around the area. "Back then, it seemed like we had all the time in the world."

"You haven't changed one bit." Shinjiro said, a bit of annoyance in his tone. "If you wanna get all sappy, go do it with your other friends."

"What was that!?" Akihiko asked, looking back at the other.

"It's rare for you to think about the past. Usually, you just charge ahead like a damn fool." Shinjiro said pointedly. "So obviously, there's something on your mind."

Akihiko just stared at the other for a moment before sighing a bit. "I do reminisce sometimes… But, what's the point?" He then looked at the other in the eye. "Anyway, we finally know how to get rid of Tartarus and the Dark Hour."

"No shit?" Shinjiro said, a bit taken aback by this.

"Yeah…" Akihiko said as he looked solemn. "To be honest, all I've been thinking about lately is getting stronger. But yesterday, someone made me question my reason for fighting…"

"Your reason for fighting, huh…" Shinjiro said as he shrugged. "That's different for every person. But, if you don't have a good one, you can always quit… like I did."

Akihiko looked at the other dead in the eye. "I'm not like you." He said as he smiled a bit. "Man, I can't believe I'm the one getting lectured here." He then turned to head out. "Well, see ya around."

Shinjiro watched him go as he made a sound at the back of his throat. "You haven't changed at all…"

xxxxx

Back at the dorm, Minato went downstairs to make something for him to eat while back on the third floor, Mitsuru went over to Fuuka's door and knocked on it.

"Yes?" Fuuka's voice was heard behind the door.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Senpai… Oh, please come in."

Mitsuru opened the door and entered. And at that point, she went straight to the point. "Not only do you excel at providing support during battle, but also at obtaining information."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry for doing that without permission…" Fuuka said, surprised to hear that so suddenly.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble." Mitsuru assured. "But, I do have a special favor to ask of you. I want you to find out as much as you can about that incident ten years ago."

"But, very little was made public…" Fuuka said, not sure where this was going.

"That's why I want you to access the Kirijo Group's database."

"You mean, hack into their system?" Fuuka asked, surprised that the senior girl was asking this of her. "That's illegal."

"I'll give you my ID and password. You'll be free from accountability. I want to know the truth, in detail."

"Senpai…" Fuuka said as she nodded.

"Of course, I'll understand if you refuse."

"Okay. I'll see what I can do."

"Are you sure?" Mitsuru asked as Fuuka nodded, looking sure. "I appreciate it." She looked at the girl as she thought about what Yukari said last night. "Yamagishi… Aren't you resentful? After all, despite my good intentions, I did drag you into this without fully explaining. Certainly, you must be a little angry with me…"

"Not really." Fuuka said sincerely. "You see, my parents have an inferiority complex because all my relatives are doctors…" She seemed a bit down at the thought. "That's why they're so tough on me… It's really hard for me to be at home…" She then looked up and smiled a little. "But here, I feel important, and I can help you and the others… So, why should I be angry?"

Mitsuru nodded. "You're right, Yamagishi. We do need you. No one can take your place."

Fuuka blushed at that as Mitsuru smiled.

"Thank you… I'll see you later." And with that she left the room, leaving Fuuka her ID and password. When she was out on the third floor hallway, she met up with Minato, carrying some plates of food in his arms. "Arisato? What on earth?" She was about to say something else when Fuuka went out and saw what she was seeing.

"Lunch." He said as he mentioned the two plates on his one arm. "Get it before it falls."

Fuuka reached for the two plates, reliving him to holding just two plates now. "Thank you, Minato-kun. Did you make these?"

"Yeah, Sissy is out and last I checked, there's only four of us in the dorm now." He said with a shrug. "See you guys later."

"Arisato…" Mitsuru was about to say something.

"Hope you enjoy it, Senpai. I'm not a decent cook like Sissy, but I get by." He said as he headed towards Yukari's door.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, while Mitsuru and Fuuka were talking, Yukari was in her room sighing with couple papers in her hands. "Seems like my worst fears keep coming true…" She said to herself. "Am I stupid to believe in things like trust and friendship…? Dad…" She looked at the papers in her hands. "This old letter of yours… I must've read it a thousand times since it came last spring…" She looked at the letter and started to read it.

'_March 6__th__, 2000. To my family,_

_ Tomorrow, I'll bring this letter to the opening ceremony for the Moonlight Bridge. It'll be stored in a time capsule, and sent to you ten years from now. _

_Yukari… You're so small right now, but in ten years, you'll be sixteen. You'll be in high school. I know you've been sad because I have to work so late, but you still always greet me with a smile._

_I'm really proud of myself. Kirijo-san appointed me Head Researcher. I'll be starting on a big project soon, and I'm really happy to be receiving so much recognition for my work… But, I swear to you that nothing is more important to me than you and your mother.'_

"_Dad…" She said sadly._

'_Yukari… Are you remembering to enjoy life? Are you still bright-eyed and hopeful, like you are now? No matter what happens in the next ten years, I hope you're happy. _

_Well, I hope this letter brings a smile to your face._

_ Love, Dad'_

"No matter what happens, huh…?" Yukari said as she took a deep breath. "I can't lose hope… for his sake." She then glared at some unseen object. "I won't turn my back. I won't be like Mom. Not ever…"

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Yukari? You awake?" Minato called.

Yukari was a bit surprised to hear his voice behind her door as she opened it to see him holding out a plate for her. "What's this?"

"Lunch. You're studying hard, right? You can't continue on an empty stomach." He said.

"Oh… Thanks…" She said as she looked to see that it was simply a sandwich.

"Sissy's out at the moment, so this is my doing. Don't complain."

"I'm not." She said as there was that awkward tension.

"See ya." He said as he headed to his own room.

"Yeah…" She said as she closed the door and looked at the plate in her hand. "That was nice of him…" She looked at what was in the sandwich and sighed. "But he doesn't understand my tastes like Minako…" She then thought about the other girl and how she always seems cheerful no matter what the situation, and even when she looks down she seems hopeful about things working out. She then thought back on the letter her father wrote and couldn't help but feel a kind of jealousy toward the other girl for being the kind of girl her father envisioned that she should be. "What is her secret to be the way she is?"

xxxxx

Meanwhile, in front of the Tatsumi Port Island station, Junpei walked out to the platform and sighed. "So, Tartarus and the Dark Hour will be gone, huh… Tch… That's good… That's what we've been fighting for…" He said as he seemed angry. "So, why am I so pissed!?"

"Gosh, it's hot… even for July." Said a girl as she and her friend headed off of the station platform.

"Seriously." Said the other girl. "But, at least we're seniors now… We won't be wearing these stupid uniforms much longer."

"Yeah, I've had enough of this. I just wanna get accepted to college and start having some fun." The girls laughed as they made their way to the theatre.

Junpei chuckled dejectedly. "I know why… I'M the reason…" He said as he sat down on a bench. "I was like, 'Fighting is my duty'. But hell, it's all I'm good for. If it weren't for that… I'd be worthless." He forced a bit of a laugh. "My duty? What a buncha bullshit." He looked down at his feet. "Even when it come to fighting… those two are just on another level…" He thought about Minato and Minako with their many Personas and even more he was sure they still have inside them, making the heat in his chest come up. "Damnit! Nothing I do is good enough!" He sighed dejectedly.

"Hey, isn't that-?"

"Yeah, that's her alright."

"What's her name? Arisato?"

Junpei looked up to see two familiar guys not too far from where he sat. 'Aren't they seniors?' He thought as he saw one of the guys pointing to an area and his eyes moved to see Minako. 'What's she doing here!?'

"Man, she's really cute!"

"Dude, you need to get out of the gym more often, she's really good looking in the tennis uniform."

"Doesn't she have a brother or something?"

"Yeah, but he looks pathetic. Although I heard she's hanging with Sanada. Then again they live in the same dorm."

"Wasn't she with that Iori idiot?"

"That's what the rumors said. But then he got on the announcement and told the whole school that they weren't going out. Talk about a great way to forever remain in the friend zone!" The guys laughed as the one overhearing this glared at them and was about to leave when he saw Minako come up to them.

"Excuse me." She asked, holding a cat that seemed to have seen better days, but looks quite content in her arms. "Do you know where I could find a vet nearby?"

"Oh, Arisato-chan… A vet?" Said one guy as he pointed to the cat in her arms. "Is it yours?"

"No, she's not mine, but she's very friendly and I would like to find her a home as soon as I check her in at a vet."

"I see, well… there's one at Iwatodai, just behind the strip mall."

"Thanks." She said as she bowed carefully with the cat in her arms. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Sure thing, Arisato-chan."

She glared at them. "Don't ever call any of my friends an idiot. Junpei is a greater then you two combined!" The cat hiss at the two seniors for good measure as she walked towards the station.

Junpei quickly hid behind a trashcan next to the bench he was sitting on and waited until she entered the station.

"She may be cute, but not when she's talking like that."

"I'll say. And did you hear what she had to say about Iori? It makes you wonder if that rumor before wasn't true."

Junpei would've appeared to tell them to shut up right now, but he felt stuck at the moment as he didn't know what to think. He didn't really talk to Minato or Minako for a few days now, almost a week since that mission on the seventh, and he did give Minako the cold shoulder when she tried to greet him every morning with a smile, promising a good day was just out the door. And what he saw just moments ago was her defending him, telling those guys that he was better than them even though he heard everyone else that he was an idiot, a fool, the class clown. He didn't know what to think anymore.


	94. Episode 93: A Thick Air pt2

Ep. 93: A Thick Air pt.2

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/12-

With Minako, about a half an hour before she left the area, she bought some cat food and found the cat that Theo mentioned in a request and she saw that it was really weak, curled up between two metal barrels. She sat down on the grimy ground and opened the bag of the cat food she bought for this and cupped both her hands into the dry mix and held it out near the cat, which sniffed at the dry kibbles and started to chew some before eating it out of her hand.

She was relieved to see this when she heard someone walk behind her. She remembered the last time she was here, at night, and hoped it wasn't one of those guys.

"The hell are you doing?" Said a familiar voice.

She looked back and saw Shinjiro and was happy to see a familiar face, as scary as he seems to appear at the moment. "Afternoon, Senpai." She said. "I'm feeding this poor cat. He looks starved."

"Should be, hasn't left that spot for three days." Shinjiro said. "I'm surprised it still has energy to eat."

She looked confused at the other. "You haven't tried feeding—"

"Yeah, I did, but it didn't like me. Must've had a bad male owner."

"I guess so. And probably scared too, since you're kind."

"Huh?"

"Well, if you weren't kind, you wouldn't bother trying to talk to me." She said with a giggle. "You would've thought 'What a strange girl' and move along like anyone else."

"You're strange alright. Especially since it wasn't that long ago when you were here last with the others."

"That's true." She said as she felt the cat's rough tongue licking her hands. "Hold on a minute. I got more for you." She scooped more cat food into her hands and held them out for the cat to eat. "Do you live nearby here then?"

"Huh?"

"Well, you seem to hang out in this area a lot, but you're not like the usual crowd that comes here. So I was wondering if you live nearby here."

"You could say that." He said, leaving no room for argument.

"Sorry if that's too personal, I was just curious." She said as she looked at the cat, which was slowing down in its eating.

Shinjiro studied the girl for a moment before speaking. "Why are you out here anyway? Besides feeding a cat?"

"To figure something out." She said as she scooped at least one handful of the kibbles for the cat, who was munching on it slowly now. "I have a dear friend of mine at the dorm, but I think I might've upset him in some way… Yukari-chan says that he's just jealous, and maybe that's somewhat true, but I think there's something more to that. I want to talk to him about it, but I don't know if I could… He's been giving me the cold shoulder lately, and I don't want to confront him when he's obviously distancing himself away." She sighed. "I'm starting to feel like I was a bad friend to him… as if I might've said or done something wrong to make this happen."

"Then don't bother thinking about it." Shinjiro said, as he could see a bit of Akihiko in the way she was speaking and worrying herself. "If he wants to be left alone, then leave him alone. There's not much else you can do if he's obviously shutting you out."

"I've been doing that, only saying good morning to him every morning." She said as the cat had its fill and went to her lap to curl up for a nap. "But it still hurts…"

Shinjiro can see the sincerity in her features as she seemed really down on this. "This guy your boyfriend or something?"

She calmly shook her head. "No, there was a time when people thought we were a couple, but that's just a rumor. He's actually my best bro pal, and I care very much for him as I do my brother…" She petted the cat on her lap. "But even though I'm hurt a little, I'm willing to wait until I can talk to him again. Is that weird?" She looked up to him.

"Yeah…" He said. "But that's the best you could do…" He finished. 'Wished someone else can follow your example.'

"Really?"

"Yeah… You two are close, right?" A nod. "Then quit worrying about not being able to talk to him and let him come to you."

She smiled at him and nodded. "I thought that was the case, but I'm glad to hear it from someone else." She said as she got up, carrying the cat in her arms. "I'm going to take her to the vet. Would you miss her?"

"Not really." He said as the cat glared at him. "Probably wants to kill me if you let it stay here."

She giggled as she petted the cat's head, which purred with the attention. "You're probably right." She looked at him with a smile on her face. "Thank you for talking to me Senpai. I think I can finally let my mind settle down now."

He looked away from her happy expression. "Whatever…" He said as he heard her say her farewells, which he grunted his response as he watched her leave from the corner of his eyes. "Such a strange girl… Stranger than Aki's obsession of that protein shit…"

xxxxx

After Minako placed the cat in the vet's care and paid for the care needs and adoption for the potential future family, she headed back to the dorm, feeling a bit accomplished and light on her feet.

Once she entered the dorm, she only saw Fuuka and Minato at the lounge area.

"Hi, how was your day?" Fuuka greeted.

"Hey Sissy, I was getting worried."

"You always worry." She said as she saw that they were just cleaning up from studying. "What did you guys do?"

"Study mostly." Minato said. "Everyone else is too. I think…"

Fuuka giggled as she got her stuff in order before she remembered something. "Oh! Minako-chan! I want you to try something!"

"You made something today, Fuuka-chan?" Minako asked, curious as she followed the girl to the kitchen, where the other girl brought out what looks like a cake, and it didn't look too bad. "You made this today?" The other girl nodded in response as Minako took a knife, cut herself a small piece. "Thanks for the food." She took a small bite of the cake, only to not go any further than that. "Um… did you use salt or sugar?"

Fuuka was curious as she tried the piece herself as she spat it out. "I'm sorry…" She said as she looked at her beautifully baked, but far too salty cake.

"It's quite alright, Fuuka-chan. I was confused which one's sugar and which one's salt at one point."

"Many taste buds have died and reborn in those days." Minato said dully.

"Shut it!" Minako said with a childish glare as she smiled at Fuuka. "Don't worry Fuuka-chan. You're going along great. We just have to be careful with the ingredients that are of the same color and texture. You know flour is white like sugar and salt, but it's finely powdered and can be mistaken for powdered sugar. And salt and sugar are commonly mistaken for each other because they're both crystallized minerals for cooking and baking." She looked around as she noticed that there was a stack of dishes that needed to be washed, and they needed to be washed yesterday.

Fuuka looked back at the stacked up dirty dishes and looked shocked. "Oh! I knew I forgot something today!"

"Hey, hey, calm down…" Minako said. "Toto-nii and I'll go get it whatever you've forgotten while you clean up."

"That's the thing… I forgot to pick up dish soap."

"Okay, then we're just going to have to clean up tomorrow then." Minako said as she patted the other girl's shoulder. "Don't worry about it, okay? Just get some rest for tonight."

"If you say so…" Fuuka said as she looked down, but Minako lifted her chin up, making her blush.

"I will have none of that." Minako said with a wink. "We've talked about this before, no?" She let the other's chin go and poked her nose. "I don't want you to even think that you can't do this. You've got most of the things down, now all you need is to tell yourself you can do this!"

Fuuka blushed horribly as she nodded. "O-Okay…" She said as the girl hugged her.

"You're just so cute!"

"Don't kill her…" Minato said lazily, but smiled at the scene before him as Fuuka managed to get to the stairs as he held his arm out for his sister to grab and was dragged out to get to the mall.

xxxxx

Once they got the dish soap, they saw some guys cursing about a monk and they looked at each other.

"Thinking what I'm thinking?" He asked.

"Even though he said that he'll kick us out?" She said as she nodded. "Okay." And with that they headed inside the club.

"Hey, I remember you…" The monk said as the twins sat down at the adjacent couch than the one he was sitting on as he pointed to them. "I told you two not to come back here…" He shook his head. "…kids…" He took a drag of his cigar before blowing the air out through his nostrils. "Well, I don't care as long as you don't get on my nerves." He looked at them lazily, but with a hint of curiosity. "So, what're you doin' here?"

Minako smiled as Minato answered. "To see you , old man." He said as he was elbowed on the last part.

The monk coughed when he heard that and looked at the two. "You jokin' you two? Heh, that's a good one." He said, but it was clear he was taken aback. "But watch your mouth. You shouldn't be sayin' somethin' like that to an adult… You think you can just shoot off your mouth 'cuz you're a kid?" He shook his head. "If you two were my kids, I'd give you a swift kick in the ass."

The twins grimaced at the thought, but at the same time it would be something that they would've liked if their parents were still alive, teaching them discipline and such things.

The monk waved his hand as if shooing a fly. "You don't have to revere me, but at least show me some respect."

"What should we call you?" Minako asked. "I'm Minako, and this is my older twin brother, Minato."

"Yo."

"Mutatsu…" He said, seemingly proud of the name. "That's my Buddhist name, of course. And don't forget to put 'san' at the end." He pointed to them for good measure as he smiled. "The world's not a forgiving place, kid. You gotta show other people respect."

The twins were lectured by Mutatsu, but felt a kind of kindness behind those harsh words as they felt a stir inside them as their faint bond grew a little stronger. Mutatsu lectured about respect before Minako rubbed her eyes and he stopped.

"Well, I don't really care what happens to somebody else's kid, but…" He said as he leaned back in his seat "just go home, alright? And don't ever come back here."

The twins got up and bowed. "Thank you, Mutatsu-san." They said in unison as they left the club and headed back to the dorm for some much needed rest.

xxxxx

When they arrived at the dorm, just when they were about to settle in for the night, they sensed that familiar presence and looked to see Pharos, smiling at them.

"It's good to see you again." The boy said with that ever mysterious and hauntingly innocent smile. "How long has it been since we first met? Time passes so quickly."

It was true for the twins. They arrived in April and now it was July.

"So, how's life as a Persona-user?"

The twins thought about it and both responded that there was something missing… something that should be there but couldn't figure out what.

"I wonder what…" Pharos said with a tilt of his head. "I hope you'll find it soon." He disappeared before reappearing at the foot of Minato's bed. "I remembered something else about the coming of the end…" The twins perked their ears for this. "It all goes back to an occurrence that took place many years ago…" He then looked thoughtful. "Ten years ago, if I remember correctly. Hey…" He disappeared and reappeared in-between the beds. "Didn't your parents pass away about ten years ago?" He disappeared again and appeared sitting on their nightstand. "Persona is like a mirror. Which means, a Persona-user can never escape from his true self." He chuckled. "Regardless, I will stay with you… because we're friends."

The twins felt the faint bond grow a bit stronger as he said good night and disappeared.

"You think he might know more than he lets on?" Minako asked.

"Either that or that talk from last night is getting to us." Minato said as he laid down. "I'm tired…"

"Yeah… Me too…" She said as she laid down as well and both slept easily that night.


	95. Episode 94: A Child's Voice is Heard

Ep. 94: A Child's Voice is Heard

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/13-

The twins were walking to the school building as they heard the usual gossiping students say this and that until they reached their classroom. From there one of their teachers talked about something that one should at least try out during the summer, especially if you're with someone you're interested in, but the twins couldn't see themselves doing that with anyone.

Junpei lazily looked at Minako and had a brief thought of trying to get her and Akihiko alone somewhere and try to get them scared, but then remembered that both persons mentioned were not easily scared and gave up on the thought.

xxxxx

The day ended with a good note, as far as the twins are concerned and wondered if Maiko would be at the shrine today. Usually they would see her after school on Saturdays, and today was Monday, but they have a feeling that they should head there now and left the school and headed to the shrine.

Once they were there, they found her by the playground before she turned and smiled at them.

"I was waiting for you guys!" She said happily as she seemed proud of herself.

"Hey Maiko-chan, what's up?" Minako asked, seeing that everything was looking good so far.

"Well… I hoped you guys would come because…" She smiled. "I want to say thanks for all your help, but…" She adjusted her backpack. "I have to say bye for now." This surprised the twins as she nodded. "Yup, I have to run away now." She then put an index finger to her lips, as if telling them to be quiet. "Remember not to tell Mom and Dad, okay?" She ended this with a wink. "Bye!" And with that she ran off.

"Toto-nii… Shouldn't we do something?" Minako asked.

"I wish I knew, Sissy…" Minato said as they heard hurried footsteps heading towards them and saw a woman approach them.

"Hey, you!" The woman called as she looked panicked. "Have you seen a little girl? She's in elementary school…" That's when a man walked behind her, seemingly in panic as well, but being calm about it.

"Just calm down and think, dammit!" He told her, which didn't seem to help at all.

"Calm down? Calm down!?" The woman nearly screamed. "What if something happens to her!"

"Oh please!" The man shouted back. "This is what happens when you force a child to study non-stop!" And thus they started shouting at each other for a good minute, causing the twins to feel rather uncomfortable and they shared a look saying that they know now why Maiko wanted to run away, before the man ended the argument. "This is ridiculous!" He then looked at the twins. "Look, you're Minako and Minato, right? I heard about you two from Maiko." He asked, trying to sound calm. "She said she hung out with two high school twins instead of practicing piano."

The twins didn't know about that when the woman seemed surprised.

"This is the first I've heard of it!" The woman shouted as she glared at the two. "You didn't teach her anything funny, did you!?"

The twins were scared of the woman, seeing her as an angry mamma grizzly bear at the moment.

"Shut up, and stop jumping to stupid conclusions." The man said as he looked at the two. "Look… We're Maiko's parents."

"We… kinda figured…" Minato cautioned.

"And, basically, we haven't seen Maiko since this morning." The man continued calmly, but still worried. "We found a note in her room that said: 'I'm running away. –Maiko'"

"She's never done anything like this before!" Cried the mother.

The twins knew Maiko would be mad at them if they told her parents where she's most likely at, but they'll be damned if they would let a little girl go off on her own any longer than this. And by the look of the parents, even though they're fighting, they can see the concern and love for their daughter was something they can agree on, and that's all that the little girl needs, and maybe they'll actually listen to her.

"Let's go look for her." Minako said as Minato nodded.

"Y-Yeah," The father said. "I'm sure she must be around here somewhere."

"Why, Maiko…?" The mother said, crying now.

"Listen you two…" The father said, seemingly calmer than the mother. "If you have any idea where she is, I'm begging you to tell us." He was desperate, that was clear.

"Maybe at the takoyaki stand." Minato said.

"Has to be! She loves that place!" Minako said. "It's her favorite!"

"The takoyaki stand?" The father said as realization dawned on him. "Oh, that takoyaki stand!" He mentioned them to follow. "Hurry, let's go!" He ran ahead, while the mother reached out to grab Minako's wrist, dragging her as they ran, making Minato rush after them.

xxxxx

They ran nonstop to the Iwatodai strip mall and they saw the takoyaki stand, where they saw Maiko, sitting at the bench, looking lost at what to do.

"There you are!" The mother cried as she let go of Minako's wrist, who then massaged it from having a horrid grip on her wrist.

"Mom! Dad!" Maiko said, surprised to see them, and then saw the twins as Minato came up to see that Minako was okay before both twins looked at her. "Oh… you came too?" She seemed disappointed as she looked at her parents. "Well I… Um… I…" She started to shake as her mother bent down to her level and frantically searched around her.

"Are you okay, darling!? Are you hurt? What happened?" The mother asked rapidly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm okay…" Maiko responded, making the mother sigh in relief as her shoulders slacked.

"Oh, what a relief…" She said as she looked angry at her. "How dare you run away from home! Do you have any idea how worried I was!? You almost gave me a heart attack, young lady!"

"Geez, calm down!" The father said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Can't you tell she's scared?"

Both parents saw that Maiko was wiping away some stray tears.

"Y-You guys made me worry too!" Maiko said. "I was so scared…"

This was what the twins hoped would happened, now that both parents are paying attention as Maiko was showing the pain they inflicted on her.

"You said you were getting a divorce, and I didn't know what to do!" She cried as tears fell. "I don't want you to get divorced because of me!" With that she cried loudly, causing both parents to look guilty and hurt at what they heard as they looked at the twins, who gave them knowing looks, making both parents feel horrible, now realizing that the twins knew about their daughter's pain when they ignored her cries.

"So that's what this is all about…" The father said, fully calmed down as he bent down and placed his hand on Maiko's head. "We're really sorry, Maiko. Why don't we go home and talk about this?"

Maiko nodded, tears still streamed her cheeks as she grabbed her father's hand as she got off the bench and she and her parents head up to the twins.

"I'm not sure what to say…" The father said to the two. "I'm sorry we pulled you into this."

Maiko let go of her father's hand and ran up to Minako, causing her parents some concern as Minako bent down to hug the girl. "I told you to keep it a secret…"

"I'm sorry Maiko-chan…" Minato said as he patted her head.

"But…" Maiko said as she leaned back from Minako's hug and looked up at both of them with puffy eyes. "Thank you…"

The twins felt their bond with the little girl grew stronger as she stepped back to join her parents, before turning back to see them again.

"Bye…"

"See you Maiko-chan…" Minako said as she got up and she and her brother watched the family walk away.

"We did the right thing." Minato said as Minako nodded.

"They're finally going to listen to her." She said, feeling happy to know that as she felt a bit drained.

Minato felt a bit drained as well as he mentioned that they should also head back home and headed straight to the dorm.

xxxxx

Once they were there, the twins decided to make dinner right quick and everyone was at the table, but the atmosphere that was there since Saturday evening was still present in the air as everyone was silent, afraid to break the tension if something were to go wrong.

Yukari barely touched her food, even though Minako made her favorite for this evening, Mitsuru took only a small bite of it and hasn't touched it since, Junpei moved it around, Fuuka was eating slowly, the tension in the air made her feel conscious about eating more than the others, Akihiko had no problem eating as he was nearly done with his plate, but he didn't like the silence as he can see the twins were at a lost at what to do.

"What's wrong, everyone?" Akihiko asked, gaining everyone's attention. "Are you guys hungry?"

"N-Not really…" Yukari said, not seeing the discomfort in Minako and Minato's posture, since they did make dinner in hopes that it would get the mood light again.

"Umm…" Fuuka said, really liking the food, but notices that the tension has made it taste different than what she knows the twins usually makes it. And a light subject was in order. "Y-You know, it's almost summer break." This gained some attention. "Do you have any plans?"

Junpei smiled as he went right in. "I wish I could go to the beach. Hot sand, cool breeze…" He chuckled "…babes in bikinis…" He leaned back in his chair. "Man, it sure would be nice!" He took a bite of the food on his plate. "Somewhere in the south, where the water is crystal clear!" His eyes seemed to shine at the image before sighing heavily. "But first we have exams to worry about… Ugh, what a drag…" He took another bite, which was followed by another, much to the twins' relief.

"Now, now. You'll be fine." Fuuka said with a bit of a smile as she was able to enjoy the food as well. "But yeah, I'd love to go somewhere famous for its beautiful beaches, like Okinawa."

"Well, it's not Okinawa, but how about Yakushima?" The Chairman said, making everyone turn to look to see him come in.

"Mr. Chairman…" Mitsuru said, surprised to see him. "I didn't realize you were here."

The Chairman chuckled. "I happened to be in the area, so I thought I'd drop by and tell you my schedule for next week. Mitsuru, your father will be vacationing in Yakushima during the break."

"He will?"

The Chairman nodded. "You'll all have some time off after exams, right? Why don't you go and pay him a surprise visit?"

"Seriously!? We're gonna go on a trip!?" Junpei said, sitting up from his chair as his eyes sparkled. "YES! Beach babes, here I come!"

Yukari sighed. "Men…" She said as she took a bite of her food, which grew cold, but she had to admit that it still tasted good.

Fuuka and Minako chuckled at Junpei's excitement, Minako was relieved to see an expression other than what she's been seeing lately.

"How about it, Mitsuru?" The Chairman asked.

"But…" Mitsuru said, looking a bit doubtful "my father is a busy man; I don't want to ruin his vacation."

The Chairman laughed. "Don't worry… No father would be upset with a daughter who came all that way to see him." He then looked at everyone. "You've all done a great job. You deserve to relax for a while. We already know when the next operation will be, so it should be fine.

"I don't know…" Mitsuru said, still sounding a bit doubtful.

"I wanna go too!" Minako begged. "Please Senpai!"

"Senpai! I'm beggin' ya!" Junpei begged.

'They look like excited puppies…' Minato thought dully as he finished with his plate as he watched Mitsuru look at the two's anxious looks and nodded.

"Alright." She said with a smile. "I guess everyone needs a break now and then. Let's do it."

"Yay!" Minako cheered.

"Woohoo!" Junpei said as he and Minako did a high five.

"Hmm, the beach…" Akihiko said as he had a thoughtful look on his face as he grinned. "I should design a special training regimen."

'Not surprised…' Minato thought as he finished his water.

"Dude, I'm stoked!" Junpei said, his excitement of the thought of the trip pouring out of him like rays of the sun.

"I can't remember the last time I've been to the beach!" Minako said as she looked at Minato. "Do you know?" Her answer was a shrug. "You're a lot of help."

"I have to go buy a swimsuit…" Fuuka said.

"Hey, don't worry! I got an extra pair you can borrow!" Junpei said, making the girls look at him oddly.

"Nice try, man." Akihiko said, not a bit amused.

"Are you going to swim too, Ikutsuki-san?" Fuuka asked.

"I'm afraid I can't." The Chairman said. "I'll turn to dust if I'm exposed to sunlight."

There was a pause as Minako started to giggle.

"Whoa, was that a joke!?" Junpei said as Minako started to outright laugh, holding her sides.

"Of course it was…" Akihiko said, a bit amazed that he heard a joke that wasn't so lame as he watched Minako laugh and was a bit worried that she was going to laugh herself to death.

That was when Minato started to chuckle, covering his mouth to keep him from outright laughing, but he was unsuccessful as he was holding his side. "Th-That was… the best one!" He said as he and his sister laughed.

"You guys are so weird…" Junpei as he started to chuckle. "Stop that! You're gon- ha m-make me…" he couldn't finish his sentence before he started to laugh as well.

Fuuka started to giggle as she started to laugh as well.

"You guys are so out of it!" Akihiko said dumbfounded at the sight as he felt a bubble come up in his chest as he started to chuckle. "Aw shit…" He said as he started to laugh.

The Chairman blinked as he mentioned that he was just going to leave now and to see them later, then he left the dorm.

Mitsuru smiled as she made her leave from the room, followed by Yukari.

xxxxx

"Ah… Mitsuru-senpai, wait!" Yukari called out as she caught up to the senior in the hallway leading up to the stairs, who turned around to look at her. "Uh… Sorry about the other day… I got a little carried away…"

Mitsuru smiled understandingly. "Don't worry about it." She said. "In a way, it's only logical that we go to Yakushima." She looked to the floor. "The Chairman said that no one who was responsible for the accident is still alive, but…" She seemed solemn "in reality, there is one witness who survived."

"There is?" Yukari said.

Mitsuru looked up and looked at Yukari. "My father." She said as she turned and walked away as Yukari stood in shock.

"Senpai…"

xxxxx

Back in the lounge, everyone was finally calmed down from their laughing fits.

"What… the hell just happened?" Akihiko asked.

"I don't know man… I don't even know…" Junpei said, completely winded from laughing so much. "I don't think I've laughed that much in ages."

"My chest hurts laughing so much." Fuuka said as she saw Minako and Minato were out. "Oh! Minako-chan, Minato-kun…"

The two guys looked to see what Fuuka was seeing and were dumbfounded.

"Whaat!? They started this crazy laughing thing and they fall asleep!?" Junpei said. "Jeez… I'll never get these two!"

"Well we can't leave them down here." Akihiko said.

Fuuka tried to wake up Minako, but she wasn't going to wake up. "Deep in dream world, huh? Geeze…" Junpei said as he couldn't help but be amused by this as he poked her side. "Hey, rise and shine, sleeping beauty." But that didn't do anything. "Man, she's a heavy sleeper."

"Well, don't stand there and poke her, carry her up." Akihiko said as he already has Minato on his back, holding his legs while the other's arms are over his shoulders.

"Huh? Carry her?"

"Yeah, like a prince with a fair maiden."

"Dude, that is so not funny!" Junpei said as he sighed and have Fuuka help him get one of Minako's arms around his neck, got his arm under her knees and back, lifted her up and slightly struggled carrying her up the three flights of stairs.

"What's the matter Junpei? Out of shape?"

"S-Shut up!" He said as he barely made it to the second floor while the other was halfway up to the third.

"If you're having trouble, place her down on one of the couches, I'll get her as soon as I tuck this guy in."

"I said I got it!" Junpei said as he stopped to take a breather. 'Why the hell am I even doing this?' He thought as he struggled his way to the third floor, where he handed over to Akihiko, who then placed her on her bed, taking her school jacket off, followed by her shoes, and then covered her with the blanket.

"You did good." Akihiko said quietly as he closed the twins' door.

"Yeah… Man… They make that look so much easier in the movies…"

"That's why its in the movies." Akihiko said as he handed the other a white envelope.

"What's this?"

"It was in the room, it's addressed to you. And it looks like Minako's writing."

Junpei was curious as he took it, noticed that there was a bulge in the envelope and opened it. He tipped it over to find a charm that looks a bit like him, in his victory pose.

"That's really good." Akihiko said. "Looks just like you."

Junpei was a bit lost as he looked to find a note in there and opened it to see it was a letter.

'_Hey there Junpei!_

_ I don't think I plan on giving this letter to you, but the charm definitely. I want to say I'm sorry for whatever it is I did to deserve the cold shoulder these last few days. I understand why, somewhat, but I like to hear it from you. But right now, I'm feeling really down about it and it doesn't look like you want to talk to me at the moment, so I wrote a letter instead. If you find this, sorry if it seems I'm rambling, but this is just my way to put out how I feel. I made this charm when I thought of you, and when I was working on it, I was wondering why, as Yukari puts it, you were jealous, and it wasn't really hard to figure out. You wanted to be leader the last few times, but me and Toto-nii were always picked out. And we have multiple Personas while everyone else, including you, only have one. I can't say why Toto-nii and I have this though, but it's not really a great thing to have. Even with all these Personas inside me, I can't summon all of them. And I don't have eyes in the back of my head. And that's the time I always trust to have someone like you to have my back. Even I make mistakes when it comes to summoning the right Persona for a fight. Other times I try not to rely on my Persona, main or otherwise. So… until you talk to me, I'll give you the space you need and all the time you need, just know that even though Toto-nii and I are unofficially official leaders of this team, I'm really glad to have someone like you to make sure to help me up when I'm down, or to lecture me when I mess up or zone out, and to always make me laugh if I feel down._

_Your Best Sis Pal Always, Ko-tan'_

Junpei was surprised to read this and the guilt in his chest became a little heavier.

"Hey, you okay? You look sick."

"Yeah…" Junpei said as he looked up at the senior. "Hey, Senpai, can I ask you something?" He asked as the other nodded. "Have you ever fought with Mitsuru and feel really awful about it, but you couldn't bring yourself to say sorry?"

Akihiko wasn't ignorant of what the other really meant. "Not really with Mitsuru, but I have experienced something like that." He said.

"How do you say that you're sorry?"

"Sorry to break it to you, but you're the only person that could answer that." He said as he saw that wasn't what the other wanted to hear. "Give yourself some time to think about it. All of us will be busy with the finals anyway…"

"Yeah… that's important…" Junpei said as he looked at the charm, which seemed to be cheering him on. "You really think this looks like me?"

"Who else does a victory stance like that?"

"You're an ass, you know that?"

Akihiko shrugged as he turned to head down the stairs. "Let's head in. I like to get tomorrows finals without sleeping halfway through."

Junpei couldn't help but feel that was some kind of insult, but he let it drop as he followed the other, holding the charm up to his face. 'It really is great craftmenship… What can't they do?' He thought as he put the charm in his pocket and went into his room to sleep.


	96. Episode 95: Finals and Amends

Ep. 95: Finals and Amends

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/14-

The next morning, Minako was in a panic, forgetting to set her alarm and practically shoved her brother off of the bed to get him to wake up as she rushed to get dressed. Minato, after the rude awakening, remembered what today is and rushed to get dressed as they both rushed out, nearly bulldozing Junpei as he was acting like a zombie before nearly having a heart attack with the two running down the stairs.

"Sorry Junpei!" Minako called out. "Today's the finals! C'mon!" She grabbed his wrist as they rushed out of the door before the other had a chance to protest.

Junpei didn't know what to say as he was dragged to the station where they got in just in time.

"Nice timing you two." Akihiko said. "You even dragged Junpei along."

"I thought for sure we weren't going to make it…" Minako said as she leaned on her brother. "That was close…"

"I'm still going to remember that rude awakening." Minato said. "I think I now have a bruise forming on my side."

Minako looked at her brother that said 'really? really bro?'.

Akihiko knew the look and chuckled. "After so much time training? You must be getting soft."

Junpei took this moment to try to push his way away from the others, still not ready to talk to them, but he placed his hand in his pocket, where Minako's charm was and bit his lower lip. 'Damnit…'

And once they got to the stop before the school, the twins, Yukari, and Fuuka were discussing some last minute possible test questions and answers, making the seniors amused by this while Junpei took up the rear. He could hear them fine but he just didn't feel up to talk to them… not yet…

-7/14—7/18-

The whole week they've done nothing but do their finals as they studied, ate, sleep, and going to school before the final day finally came up.

The twins were walking side by side, they were discussing about the last of their subjects possible questions when Junpei came up to them.

"Y-Yo, what's up?" He said, looking a bit sheepish and it looked like he put in a lot of effort just to get to this point.

"Hey Junpei." Minako said happily to see him come up to them on his own accord.

"Yo." Minato said, a bit surprised to see him, since he was used to having the other ignoring him.

Junpei felt a bit awkward standing there as he looked at the school. "Thank god today's the last day of exams…"

"Yeah…" Minato said as Minako asked how he was doing.

"D-Don't ask." Junpei as he seemed a bit uncomfortable. "I can't wait to let off some steam… Don't you just love summer…?"

"I guess…" Minato said. "Can't say much about it though, other than it's really hot…"

"We never really had a summer where we just simply had fun." Minako said as she smiled. "So I'm really excited about this!" She then looked determined. "But we have an obstacle between us and that promised trip! And today is its last day of showing itself before it slumbers once more!"

"You're too spirited today…" Minato said as Junpei couldn't help but grin, gripping the charm that seemed to help calm him in face of a difficult question.

"You should be too." Minako said as she pointed to the school. "Now! Let us defeat the monster known as finals!"

"No more sugar for you…" Minato said as he shook his head.

Junpei had to keep his laughter in, because he honestly thought that was just too damn funny and was so her. It actually made him feel better as they headed closer to the classroom to do their last final.

xxxxx

Once the school day was over, the pens went down and Junpei jumped out of his seat and had both arms in the air.

"I'm done, baaaby!" He cheered as he brought his arms down. "The dark days of testing are finally over! The sun is shinin' bright!"

The twins smiled at his relief of the tests being over as Yukari came up.

"So, how'd you do?" She asked with a raised brow.

"Hey, check it out!" He said happily. "I aced P.E.!"

Yukari was not amused by this as she sighed. "Well, that pretty much answers the question."

He grinned smugly. "Psh, a real man doesn't dwell on the past…"

'You're one to talk…' Minato thought as Junpei continued with an excited expression.

"I'm thinking ahead to Yakushima!"

"Oh yeah, that's coming up soon, isn't it?" Yukari said as she looked at the twins. "Are you guys ready?"

"Totally!" Minako said, her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Yup." Minato said simply, but there was a bit of a smile.

"I guess I should start getting ready too." Yukari said with a bit of a sigh. "I guess I should be more enthusiastic, huh?" She then smiled. "Hey, I don't have practice today, so do you wanna do something? What do you guys say?"

"Sounds good! Where we goin'?" Junpei asked before the twins could say anything, as he smiled. "If you need to buy a swimsuit, I'd be happy to help!"

"As if." She said with a dull glare. "Alright, gimme a sec. I'm gonna go grab my stuff from the locker room."

"Okay, we'll wait right here." Minako said.

"Right… Oh, I'll invite Fuuka, too. And we'll have a girl's day out. No guys allowed. Sorry Minato."

"It's cool."

"Man…" Junpei said as Yukari left the room, as well as most of the students in the room. He looked at the two as they started to talk about something before he spoke up. "Hey…" He gained their attention. "Um… I'm sorry about the way I've been acting… You know… like a dick to you guys…" He looked to see they were listening to him. "I was just in a bad mood and I took it all out on you two… But we're still cool, right? I understand if you guys don't forgive me, I know it wasn't too cool of me…"

The twins smiled as they nodded. "It's okay." Both said in unison, making the other smile.

"Thanks dudes. How about we go back to how things used to be between us?"

"Of course." Minako said. "Like we would stop being friends over something that small."

"What she said." Minato said.

"You guys…" He chuckled. "Well, that's all history." He said as Yukari mentioned that they're leaving now. "Alright, let's get going."

"Yay!" Minako cheered, much happier now that Junpei is talking to them now as she dragged her now very slowpoke of her brother. "C'mon!" She whined.

"I'm not gonna go faster because you want me too…" Minato said.

"Oh! You're acting like a stubborn donkey!" She said as Junpei laughed.

"C'mon dude! A snail can beat you in a race at this point!" He said, feeling great to be back to doing these things with these two.

"Shut up…" He said as they caught up with Yukari and Fuuka as he started to talk to them.

"Hey, Ko-tan…" Junpei said, finding it odd to say that after not doing so for two weeks.

"Yes?" Minako said, missing that nickname as she saw him hold up the charm she made weeks ago. Her eyes widened at the charm. "Where did you find that?"

"Monday after you and Minato passed out." Junpei said. "Actually… Akihiko-senpai found the envelope with my name on it and… well…"

"You read the letter…"

"Yeah… that one that's not really meant to be read." He said as he smiled. "Thanks, and I really am sorry to put you through all that. I had no idea you were in a lot of pain because of me. You always look so cheerful…"

She smiled, somewhat sadly. "It hides my pain at times." She said, making the other look. "My philosophy is, since life is so short, I can't waste it by worrying over the small things and be sad or angry all the time, unless it's short term of course. So! I smile and try to laugh as much as I can and not let it get to me!"

"That sounds tough though…"

"I have a lot of practice…"

"Ko-tan…"

"Oi!" Minato called. "What are you doing back there!?"

"Junpei's asking advice from a girl's standpoint! It's very personal!"

"Can't wait to hear it!"

"As if!"

"You really have to say that?" Junpei asked as they made their way over to the others.

"What else did you want me to tell him?"

"Good point." He said, smiling. "It's great to talk to you again."

"Same!" She said as they caught up to the trio.

xxx

Meanwhile, Minato noticed that his sister and Junpei weren't following and looked back to see the two talking. "Jeeze, he's really being apologetic…"

"Those two are rather close than you are with him." Yukari pointed out.

"I guess." He said as he called out of the reason for their hold up, in which his sister made a cleaver lie and shook his head. "If I didn't know her so well, I would've bought it." And with that the other two made it up to them as they headed out to the front lobby of the school to their foot lockers before heading out to the school gate.

xxxxx

"Woohooooo!" Junpei and Minako cheered as Junpei continued. "Freedom at last! What should I do now!?"

Fuuka giggled at the antics. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll think of something." She said.

"Hell yeah, I will!" Junpei said, pumped up to do something when he noticed Akihiko was waiting outside of the school gate. "Hey, what're you doing here, Akihiko-san?" He asked as everyone else seems to wonder about that as well, and he wasn't surrounded by his usual fangirls either, which is a rare sight after school around this time.

"Ikutsuki-san called me." Akihiko said.

"The Chairman called?" Minako asked, finding this a bit out of the blue.

"Yeah, I think he wants to talk about a new candidate."

"Does that mean another person is going to join?" Yukari asked.

"Maybe…"

"Ooh, is it gonna be another girl!?" Junpei asked excitedly as Akihiko raised his brow.

"How should I know?"

"You're kinda hopeless, aren't you." Minato said.

Before Junpei could come up with a witty comeback, Natsuki called out to Fuuka as she ran up to them.

Fuuka turned to face her. "What's wrong, Natsuki-chan?" She asked as the other girl slowed to a stop in front of her.

"Do you think you can stay after school with me for a mandatory study session? There's, like, no one—" She said as she noticed the group. "Oh, you're going back to your 'home' home today, huh? Okay, then never mind."

"Hey, wait." Fuuka said as the girl was about to leave. "It's alright. Let's go." She then turned to the others. "Sorry, I'll see you all later back at the dorm."

"Have fun!" Minako said as they watched the two head back to the school.

"I'm really surprised at how much she's changed." Junpei said.

"Ah, friendship… How beautiful!" The Chairman said, making everyone look at him. "Adolescence is such a wonderful thing! So full of vibrancy!"

"Mr. Chairman…!" Yukari said, surprised to see him at the school.

"Oh, hello. I just stopped by to pick someone up." He said as he mentioned someone behind him. "I might as well introduce you to him now."

An elementary school boy walked up next to the Chairman. "Hello." He said.

Akihiko was shocked to see the child as Yukari spoke.

"Oh, hi, Ken-kun. What's up?"

"You know him?" Akihiko asked.

"He doesn't leave during the break because of this… circumstances." The Chairman said.

"Oh, I heard about that…" Yukari said. "Something about his parents…"

"It was only me and my mom, but she got in an accident, and she… she died." Ken said, sounding a bit mature for someone his age. "It happened two years ago." He pointed out, apparently having to tell this to people a lot.

"Right now, " The Chairman spoke "one of his distant relatives is paying for his school expenses. But staying at the elementary school dorm all by himself isn't proper for a child his age. So, I decided to move him to your dorm for the summer."

"Looks like you got another mouth to feed, Sissy." Minato said as Yukari was surprised by the decision.

"To OUR dorm!? Do you really think that's a good idea!?" She said.

"Why, of course." The Chairman said with a smile. "He has the potential." This caused everyone to be surprised.

"Then, he's the new candidate?" Akihiko asked, surprised by this.

"Yes…" The Chairman said. "But, as you can see, he's still just an elementary school student. So, it is merely a possibility for now."

Akihiko seemed a bit unsure as Ken looked his way.

"Are you… Sanada-senpai?" He asked with a smile.

"Um… yeah."

"I've heard a lot about you…" Ken said sounding happy. "You haven't lost a boxing match yet. It's a real honor to meet you!"

'How old is this kid? He sounds like an old businessman.' Minato thought. 'Then again, he lost his mom, he must've grown up faster than normal mentally…'

"Yeah, well… It's nice to meet you."

Minako was curious as to why Akihiko seemed a bit uncomfortable around Ken, but decided to ask later.

"Well! We can't really have a girl's day out without Fuuka, so I guess we should just relax back at the dorm." Yukari said. "Right Minako!"

"I guess so." Minako said as Yukari studied her. "What?"

"I'll tell you once we're in the dorm." Yukari said with a smile, which didn't help the confusion the other girl has.

"Er… Okay…"

Minato shook his head as they all headed back to the dorm, with the Chairman and Ken in tow. "So… Ken-kun, you like anything?" He asked, wanting to at least know the kid since they're going to stay with them for a bit.

"Oh, I like watching the news and read."

"Anything else?"

"Do you have any places you like to go to, or hobbies?" Minako asked.

"I like going to the shrine… And I don't really have any hobbies I like…"

"Really? We'll we're just gonna change that." Minako said with a smile.

"Sorry about my little sister, she's still on sugar high from this morning."

"Toto-nii! So mean!" She said as she playfully punched her brother's arm.

"You two are kinda strange…" Ken said.

"Thanks!" Minako said happily.

"You shouldn't take things too lightly…" Minato said.

"Lighten up man!" Junpei said. "We finally have some time off." He then looked excited. "Yakushima, here we come! I can't wait for Monday!"

"Yeah!" Minako cheered.

"And then, one week of school 'til summer break! Frickin' awesome!"

"Those two are energetic…" Ken asked.

"Yeah…" Minato said with a smile. "But can you blame them?"

"Aren't you two getting a little carried away?" Yukari asked. "Honestly, I think you're making a bad influence on Minako, Stupei."

"Hey, hey, hey! Ko-tan knows who to hang with."

"What I mean is that the trip is only for a few days, and we'll still have to fight Shadows over summer break." Yukari reminded them. "In other words, we can't afford to stop training in Tartarus…"

"We know that." Minako said simply.

"Yeah! My energy level is so high during summer, no one can stop me!" Junpei said looking determined.

"You're unbelievable." Yukari said as Minako laughed.

"Lighten up a little, Yukari. Tomorrow we're going shopping after all."

"Oh yeah, about that. Do you have a bathing suit?"

"Uh…"

"You can't really enjoy the beach if you don't have that." Yukari said as Minako blinked.

"Does the swimsuit I got from my last school work?"

"Absolutely not!" Both Yukari and Junpei said in unison, making her jump.

"I knew you would say something like that!" Yukari said as she smiled. "And I know the perfect one!"

"Hold it!" Minato said as he walked up to them, leaving Ken, Akihiko, and the Chairman taking up the rear. "I don't mind you going, but I only have one request: it has to be a one piece."

The Chairman chuckled as the other two juniors argued with Minato while Minako tried to keep the peace. "I can see Minato's concern for his sister, but don't you think it's a bit suffocating?"

"I don't see anything wrong with it." Akihiko said.

"He has a really bad sister complex, doesn't he?"

"This is only scratching the surface." Akihiko said.

"You seem to have the same thing, Akihiko." The Chairman said as Akihiko blushed.

"I do not! She's only a friend. Besides, she already has her brother to worry over her."

"You're really bad at lying." Ken pointed out.

"H-Huh!?"

"You're as red as your vest."

Akihiko felt really awkward at that point and closed his mouth.

xxxxx

Once they dropped Ken at the elementary school dorm, since it has yet to let out, they went to their own dorm and everyone immediately relaxed and when Mitsuru came in, she wasn't at all surprised to hear about Ken staying with them over the summer, having been informed ahead of time, but also has the same unsure atmosphere around her as Akihiko.

"Anyone hungry?" Minako asked.

"Starved!" Junpei said. "What's on the menu? Chef?"

"Very funny, Junpei." She said as she smiled. "I'm thinking of making an omelet. Any suggestions?"

"Rice is a definite must in that!" Junpei said.

"Having some vegetables in there would help balance it." Yukari said.

"Do you need help?" Fuuka asked as everyone looked her way.

"Sure, you can help me cut the vegetables." Minako said as everyone looked horrified by the idea. "Oh! I also saw some pork in there, I can also cut those up and that would make a full rounded meal. Great! Let's get going, Fuuka-chan!"

"Oh, r-right!" Fuuka said as she got up to join the other girl in the kitchen.

"Please don't let it go bad… Please don't let it go bad…" Junpei prayed.

"Have a little faith." Minato said as he yawned. "Wake me up when dinner's ready."

"Man… Passing out on us already?" Junpei said as the other was already up the stairs. "That guy really is a zombie the way he acts."

"Be glad he isn't going to eat anyone's brains." Akihiko said.

"I think Junpei is safe in that category." Yukari said.

"So cold… Oh, so, cold…" Junpei said with a slight glare, but didn't have any emotion behind it.

"Junpei!" Minako called out. "Do you think you can run in at the Pharmacy and get some oil? We're just about out in here!"

"Ask and it shall be received!" Junpei said happily. "Alright! I'm off to get that!"

"Thanks a ton, Junpei!"

"Not a problem, Ko-tan!" He said as he left the dorm.

xxxxx

Once Junpei returned, he was just in time as Minako and Fuuka came out with plates, which he was worried when Fuuka seemed to have trouble holding the plates. "Oh man… That smells so good…" He said as he placed the oil down on the kitchen bar and sat down.

"I'll get Brother. Just wait a moment." Minako said as she ran up the stairs.

"Man… he better be half awake, I don't know if I can stop resisting digging in!" Junpei said as the smell coming off the food was tempting him.

"I don't blame you." Fuuka said. "She had me taste test before we served it."

"Oh man… it must be good!"

"Would you guys quit that?" Yukari said as Minako came down with a sleepy Minato in tow.

"Foooood…" Minato said as he went over to a spot on the table where there's a plate set out waiting for him.

"Okay everyone! Dig in!" Minako said as Junpei did just that.

"Ko-tan's food is always so good!"

"I give it a seven out of ten." Mitsuru said with a smile. "To be honest, I've never had something like this."

Minako simply laughed. "I'm glad you like it."

"Seconds!" Junpei cheered.

"Sorry Junpei, I only had enough ingredients to make a plate for everyone." Minako said. "So tomorrow I'll be going shopping with Fuuka-chan."

"Can I come too? Seriously, you can get a lot of stuff, and the place you guys go too is a pretty lengthy on foot." Junpei asked.

"That will be great." Minako said as Minato finished his plate and started gathering those who are done.

"Thanks for the food once again, Minako!" Yukari said.

"Thanks Yukari." Minako said as the rest of the night was them talking and laughing at a few things, happy that the finals are over and making plans about Yakushima. She couldn't help but smile, the atmosphere that was here before the finals has finally lifted and felt lighter than before.

"You're happy about something." Minato pointed out, knowing what she's thinking, but likes to say something anyway.

Minako knew that her brother knew as she stuck out her tongue. "You should know!" She said as the rest of the night was a night of light discussion before ending it with a good night's rest.


	97. Episode 96: The Day Before Yakushima

Ep. 96: The Day Before Yakushima

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/19-

The next morning was normal for everyone in the dorm, with a hint of excited anticipation for Monday to come up.

Minako, Fuuka, and Junpei went out to get some groceries while Minato stayed in the dorm room on the computer, which was just another MMO play-through, while chatting with Maya.

When the trio returned, Yukari immediately took the two girls away, leaving Junpei to put away the groceries.

"Hey!" Junpei said as he sighed.

"What's up?" Minato asked as he came down.

"Yuka-tan stole Ko-tan and Fuuka-chan, leaving me with all this stuff." Junpei said as he mentioned the grocery bags in hands and feet.

"I'll help you out there." Minato said with an easy smile. "The girls going to the mall as they planned?"

"Yeah… Maybe to get those bathing suits Yuka-tan keeps mentioning." Junpei chuckled. "Man, you should've gone with us. Yukari kept studying Ko-tan and Fuuka-chan that at one point someone thought she was checking them out. You should've seen how red her face went!"

"I'm sorry I didn't come with a video camera. But I don't have one of those, but I am sorry."

Junpei laughed as they placed the items in the kitchen. "Whoa… Fuuka-chan went all out on the spices. You guys might want to go out to get a new spice rack for all these spices she bought…"

"I think those are for bringing to school." Minato said. "Schools love donations for club purposes."

"Oh right, Fuuka-chan's in the cooking club." Junpei said with a look of uncertainty. "But it looks like Ko-tan is doing more of the teaching…"

"Give Fuuka-chan some credit. She's improving a lot than when she started."

"That's true. I'm sure Ko-tan went a long way to get to being a pretty good cook."

Minato nodded. "She has." He said with a chuckle. "When we were seven years old, Sissy started her interest in cooking when She kept coming home late. But the first thing she made…" He laughed outright. "Oh man, I thought I was going to die! She made it so spicy, I thought my insides were going to turn to ash."

"Seriously dude?" Junpei said as he had a hard time believing that.

"Seriously, but she's learned from that mistake." He said as he smiled. "Seeing Fuuka-chan cooking brings back a lot of good memories."

Junpei smiled as he learned something new from him as they got everything put away. "So! We should start packing as well."

"About that…" Minato said. "I have to go out to get some swimtrunks…"

"No problem! You can borrow one of mine."

"How many pairs do you even own?"

"Only three, but I do have one pair you can have. I haven't even worn it."

"Okay…" He said as they headed up stairs to get said trunks.

"Hey, wanna kill time with a little co-op?"

Minato nodded as they sat down to do some games.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the girls were in the mall and were trying out different swimsuits.

"Uh… Yukari… are you sure about this?" Fuuka asked, poking her head out of the curtain of the dressing stall.

"Come on! Let's see you!" Yukari said, walking out of her dressing stall with a pink bikini with small white dots.

"I rather not…" Fuuka said, blushing. "It feels… rather embarrassing…"

Minako then walked out with a white bikini with some butterflies on it. "It's only us, Fuuka-chan, so don't worry about it." She said as she studied herself in the mirror. "I don't know about this one…" She said. "It seems rather small… Like it's revealing too much…"

Fuuka came out with a bikini as well, a sea blue with a lace-like trim along the waist line and along under the small bust she has.

"You look adorable." Yukari said as she tilted her head. "But it doesn't really suit you."

"I know…" Fuuka said as she studied herself in the mirror as well next to Minako, and blushed as she looked down at her chest, since her bust is much smaller than that of the other girls.

"I don't think either of our swimsuits we picked out is going to work." Minako said. "I never worn a bikini, but I can say right now that these suits were not really made for us."

"I agree." Yukari said. "Let's get these off, changed, and regroup out at the front."

xxxxx

And so they did just that and they went over to the fountain.

"Okay… From what we've tried on, I can conclude what kind of swimsuits we're looking for." Yukari said.

"Really?" Said the other girls as the other nodded.

"Yep! And I know only one place that will not disappoint!" Yukari said with a proud smile while the other two were wondering if they would make it out of this alive.

"Lead the way." Minako said as she and Fuuka followed Yukari to another shop.

After spending an hour in there, they came out with a small bag of their purchased suits.

"Alright! This store never fails to give us the right stuff!" Yukari said, holding her bag up like a trophy.

"I have to admit, I'm looking forward to tomorrow with this now." Fuuka said, smiling happily.

"I know Toto-nii is gonna flip, but I really do like what I picked out." Minako said as she looked at her bag. "Looks like he's just gonna deal."

"That's the spirit!" Yukari cheered. "Okay! Let's head back. We still have to pack for tomorrow." The two girls nodded in agreement and left the mall to head back to the dorm.

xxxxx

When it was night time, everyone was in anticipation for tomorrow.

"Oh man…" Junpei said as he, Minato, and Akihiko were in the lounge area. "I don't think I could sleep tonight!"

"Would you cool it?" Akihiko said. "We know you're excited."

"But dude! We're going to Yakushima… The beach… The babes in bikinis…"

"Down boy." Minato said as he sighed. "I'm excited to go, but I'm also worried at what the girls are going to wear…"

'In other words you're afraid of what your sister is going to come out wearing.' The other two knew what the other really meant.

"C'mon dude! Lighten up on your sis. She has us guys to keep the other guys off of her."

Minato sighed. "I guess so."

"Heck! We'll just tell those bastards to keep off our little sis if they know what's good for them! No one wants to mess with three brothers after all."

"Junpei has a point there." Akihiko said. "It's not like Tartarus, but the training we've gone through should be enough to show that they don't have a chance." He grinned.

"That's true…" Minato said.

"Hey guys!" Minako said as she came down. "What are you talking about? The atmosphere around here is kinda serious."

"Oh, nothing!" Junpei said. "Just guy stuff."

"Oh, okay." Minako said with a giggle. "Well, I'm going out to the pharmacy."

"Huh? Why?" Akihiko asked, seeing that the sun has set a long time ago. "And why this late?"

"Turns out we don't have enough sunscreen." Minako said. "Don't want to get sunburned. That just ruins the trip." She said as Minato came up.

"I'll join you." He said. "I need to get something over there anyway."

"What's that?"

"Just running out of something, that's all."

"Okay." She said as they headed out to the mall.

Junpei and Akihiko watched them go before he looked to see Akihiko. "C'mon man, level with me here, you're wondering what the girls look like to win their swimsuits."

"You and I have different mind lengths." Akihiko said. "I'm sure they'll look nice."

Junpei shook his head. 'This guy…' He thought as an idea came up. "Oh, didn't Minato say that he wants his sister to be in a one piece?"

"I do remember that being the only favor he asked Yukari." He said, wondering where this was going.

"But I wonder if they really followed that favor though. And if they didn't, I wonder what kind of bikini Ko-tan is wearing."

"If Minato heard you say that, we would be having a search party for your body." Akihiko said, knowing Minato's mind more than Junpei's.

"I'm just saying that Minako has a mind of her own, and that we should really consider protecting her innocence by whatever bikini she's picked out."

"Huh?"

"Dude? Don't you know? There's not one kind of bikini, there's a whole range." Junpei said, wondering just how long has Akihiko not been noticing these things. "Seriously dude, you need to get out of the gym sometime and actually look at all the stuff these girls wear!"

"I'm not like you." Akihiko said, now feeling a bit uncomfortable about where this was going.

"That's kinda obvious, but it does help to know about it." Junpei said as he had another idea in mind. "I mean, each kind of fashion turns on a certain guy after all."

"Huh?!"

"Yeah, the girls' fashion thing is mostly to make them look and feel good, but there's a small percentage that is 100 percent the truth that these girls wear them to attract guys."

Akihiko knew then and there that he has no idea what the other was talking about, even though he has been partnered with Mitsuru for a long time. "And what makes you so knowledgeable about this?"

"Picture this…" Junpei said, knowing now he has the other hooked in. "Say Ko-tan has picked out a bikini with a style that's moderate yet calls attention, with a design that's settle yet very pleasing to the eye. And with a design like that with the kind of body she has, the guys that don't know her will hone in on all that, mainly the curves she has."

Akihiko, as much as he wants to deny it, was interested in what the other was telling him. "So you're saying that, if Minako-chan has picked a certain bikini, the guys that are not in this group will be attracted to her just because of what she's wearing?"

"That's right, and because bikini's resemble a girl's normal undergarments, specialized for swimming of course due to the different material used, a guy's mind might turn from being attracted to her body with the bikini to something else entirely."

Akihiko wasn't ignorant of what that implies as he blushed. "And what does that have to do with different bikini types?"

"Well… you know what a normal bikini looks like, right?"

Akihiko sighed as he nodded.

"Well, think of that one, but cut the straps so it's now a tube top, but that's also pretty small, the bottom of it will be normal at the front, but at the back…"

"What are you talking about?" Mitsuru said suddenly, scaring both of them.

"Uh… I was uh…" Junpei said as he could see the displeasure in the senior girl's eyes.

"If you have nothing else better to do, then I suggest you get an early night's rest." She said.

"Y-Yes, Senpai." Junpei said as Akihiko nodded as they left the lounge and headed up to their rooms.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, the twins went to the mall and got what they came to get at the pharmacy, only to head over to the club to find the monk, drinking by himself as he looked up to see them.

"I thought your faces looked familiar…" Mutatsu said. "You two here again?" He shook his head. "Even Buddha's not that forgiving. Alright, that's it. I'm gonna hand you over to the bouncer and…" He made it look like he was going to get up, but then adjusted his sitting and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, there's no Buddha in this world, so…" He mentioned over to the couch adjacent to his own. "Alright… Stop lookin' at me like that and sit down."

The twins did just that as he took a drag of his cigar before he looked at them a bit lazily, but studying them.

"So, tell me, is it fun pesterin' an old monk like me whose own wife and kid left him?" He said as he took a drink. "How come it's always you two when I see ya? I know you don't have a thing going on, but don'tcha got any friends?"

Minako was going to answer that they do, but her brother said something entirely different.

"We don't have any friends." Minato said, surprising his sister, but this made the man laugh.

"Either ya like being alone, or ya got problems…" He said as he settled down. "In any case, well said. No hesitation whatsoever" He seemed amused by this. "Don't worry if ya don't have any friends. Most of life's troubles have to do with others."

'That's very true.' Both thought as the other continued.

"Let's define a 'friend' as… someone you hold dear." Mutatsu said as he pointed to his chest, over where the heart is. "True friendship is seen through the heart, not the eyes." He laid back on his seat. "People always want somethin' in a relationship. They only really love themselves. You don't call someone who doesn't like you your friend, do ya?" He looked at the twins, who shook their heads. "No, you don't…" he then pointed his cigar at them "… 'cuz you know you won't get nothin' from 'em, right? Which means, in this world, there's no one you can hold dear." He took a sip of his drink. "At the end of the lonely road of love, you're the only one left standin' there." He then grinned and pointed to the dance floor. "But, you see those dames over there, the ones on the dance floor?"

The twins look at that direction to see the girls dance in a group, having fun.

"If you can bring one of 'em over here, I'll be your friend in return. Eh? Whaddya think?" He said with a chuckle.

The twins smiled at this as they felt their bond with the man grow a bit stronger, until Minako yawned.

"Tired, Sissy?"

"Yeah, her eyelids're startin' to droop." Mutatsu said. And it looks like yer too tired to go talk to 'em." He laughed. "Looks like you're gonna doze off any second now."

"We do have to go somewhere tomorrow." Minato said.

The man waved his hand. "Go home for now. You're gonna come back anyway, even if I tell you not to, right?"

The twins smiled as they nodded.

"Damn kids…" He mumbled, but he waved them and said good night to them as the twins left the club and back to the dorm to sleep for tomorrow's trip.


	98. Episode 97: Yakushima - Day 1: Arrival

Ep. 97: Yakushima-Day 1: Arrival

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/20-

The next morning, everyone woke up bright and early, grabbed their bags and went onto the Yakushima-bound ferry and some took a bit of a catch up nap before they woke up and headed out of the ferry to see the island just a few miles off in the distance.

Junpei ran up to the rail, excitement evident in his eyes. "Awesome! There it is!" He called out excitedly. "Ya-ku-shi-maaaa!"

Minako and Fuuka went up to see the sight as well, Minako was just as excited at the sight as the other was.

"W-Wow, so many tropical plants…!" Fuuka said as she looked to see a palm tree. "Take a look at that one…"

"This is amazing! Isn't it?" Minako said as she looked behind her, only to see everyone else was calm and solemn, and there was that heavy atmosphere again. 'It just had to follow us… didn't it?'

"Um…" Fuuka said as she also noticed the lack of excitement in the others.

"I-It's totally amazing, huh!" Junpei said, too excited to sense the heavy mood. "Man, this is so awesome… I'm not even kidding!"

"Junpei-kun…" Fuuka said, mentioning to the others who don't seem to be paying attention, Minato was listening to music with his headphones and Akihiko was deep in thought, while Mitsuru and Yukari have that tension between them once more that blocked out everything else.

Junpei saw this and sighed.

"We'll still have fun, Junpei." Minako said.

"Yeah, I know." Junpei said, happy to see at least one can share his enthusiasm.

Minako took a deep breath of the ocean air and giggled. "It's been forever since I've been on a beach! This is going to be so much fun!"

"I hear ya!" Junpei said as his excitement level went back to its high point.

"Don't fall over the boat you two." Minato said. "It may look like a warm day, but the water is freezing."

"You'd jump in regardless!" Minako said with a giggle. "If not then Junpei or Akihiko-senpai will."

"Huh?" Akihiko said, not really paying attention.

"Coming in to save me if I went overboard."

"As if you're that clumsy." Akhiko said with a smile.

"Look! We're closing in at the dock!" Junpei said as he seemed to jump around on his feet. "Oh man! I just wanna get off this boat!"

"Let's grab our stuff and get ready to head out." Minako said as she turned to do just that.

xxxxx

Once the boat was docked and everyone filed out of the ferry, they followed Mitsuru up on a path that led to a very fancy vacation home.

"Whoa…" The twins said in unison as Junpei's jaw dropped, while Yukari and Fuuka were a bit speechless.

"Hey! Quit gawking like turkeys and come on in!" Akihiko said with a teasing smile as that seemed to bring the juniors back to reality and headed inside the home, which was twice as impressive than the outside.

With marble pillars from floor to the high ceiling, polished large oak doors with gold handles, expensive and beautiful paintings hanging on the walls, and tropical plants hanging from the ceiling, the juniors were in awe.

"Wow…" Fuuka said.

"It's like we're in an episode of Lifestyles of the Rich and Fabulous…" Junpei said as two mid-age maids came up and bowed to Mitsuru.

"Welcome back, Milady." They said in unison.

"We won't be here long, but I'll be relying on you during our stay." Mitsuru said, used to this kind of thing.

"You have maids…?" Yukari said, sounding surprised as one maid looked at her and the others.

"And you must be her schoolmates, correct? Welcome to the Kirijo vacation home." She turned. "Please, follow me."

"Um, is this the right place?" Yukari asked, still a bit culture shocked.

"Didn't you hear her?" Minako asked as Junpei held onto Minato's shoulders.

"Dude, real-life maids…"

"I knew she was from an important family, but this definitely confirms it…" Fuuka said, still wide-eyed at the whole thing.

Then the door opened and out walked an impressive looking older gentleman with an eye patch over his right eye, and walked up to them.

"It's good to see you." Mitsuru said, as the man nodded and walked pass them.

"Oh, he left…" Fuuka said as she seemed to come to a conclusion. "Was that…"

"…her father?" Yukari finished as she looked at Mitsuru.

"Dude, talk about scary…" Junpei whispered. "He's not gonna make us walk the plank, is he?"

"Don't be stupid…" Akihiko said with a good punch to the other's shoulder for good measure.

"Ow…"

"You did kinda deserve that." Minato said as Mitsuru chuckled.

"We won't be here long, but make yourself at home." She said.

"Sweet! This is gonna rock!" Junpei said, getting excited once again as he looked at the others. "Hey, wanna go to the beach? It's right there." He smiled like a child in an amusement park. "Dude, this place rules! Come on, let's go!"

"What, already?" Yukari said, a bit surprised by his eagerness, but she smiled. "I mean, sure, but let me get changed first!"

"Same here!" Minako said. "If we're going to the beach, then there's no way I'm going in the water with what I have now."

"Then I'll see you guys there! I'm not gonna waste a single minute!" Junpei said as he dashed off.

"Hey! Wait!" Akihiko called out. "Man, that guy isn't kidding…"

"Let's go before he hurts himself." Minato said as he and the senior went to where Junpei ran off while the girls went to their assigned rooms to change.

xxxxx

Down at the beach, the guys were already there as Junpei and Minato were enjoying the moment, while Akihiko looked out of the water.

"Ahh… Got my sandals on… Givin' my feet a chance to breath…" Junpei said as he smiled widely. "Yup! Summer's here!" He turned his cap around so the bill was at the back, while Minato simply nodded in agreement as Akihiko came up to them, taking his large t-shirt off, showing off only a black speedo.

"Darn… There's nothing out there I can use as a marker…" He said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Too bad. I was hoping for a good swim."

Junpei and Minato, however were surprised by the senior's choice of swim attire.

"Wh… What's with that swimsuit!?" Junpei said, pointing that out.

"What about it?" Akihiko asked.

"Dude, speedos? That tight fit's nasty, man!"

"But they're better for swimming." Akihiko countered.

"You must be joking…" Junpei said as he shook his head. "We come all the way to the beach an you're gonna train?" He himself was wearing normal swimtrunks of a bold red color.

"It wouldn't be Senpai if he didn't." Minato said, as he wore a much sportier swimtrunk look that was blue with grey stripe that separated the black on the sides.

"What's wrong with that?" Akihiko asked. "You got a better idea?"

Junpei then held his head up proudly. "Damn right, I do! It's summertime at the beach! I've got the perfect activity!"

"I'm afraid to ask what that is…" Minato said, as Junpei looked over his shoulder.

"Oh hey… They're here!" Junpei called out as the guys looked up to see the girls coming in.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, before the girls headed out of their rooms, Minako, Yukari, and Fuuka changed into their bikinis and were about to wait on Mitsuru when she told them that she will be right with them in a bit and headed out to the private path down towards the beach, which Fuuka said she nearly forgot something and headed back as the other two continued on, where they could hear Junpei's excited remark of summer being here.

"Ugh, could he BE any louder…?" Yukari said, sounding a bit annoyed.

"Give him some slack, he's just really excited." Minako defended as she saw Akihiko coming back to Junpei and her brother.

"Yikes, what's with Akihiko-senpai's swimsuit?" Yukari continued as her face was looking red from embarrassment. "I can feel my face getting red just looking at it…"

Minako wasn't going to deny that fact, because her face was also red, she can tell from the heat, and her eyes were looking at said speedos, before she had to close her eyes and shake her head. "It's probably a training thing. You know how he is…"

"It's still embarrassing…" Yukari said as they walked onto the sand after hearing Junpei practically announced their arrival.

"Yo, about time you guys got here." Akihiko said as he looked to see Yukari's face was red and staring at him. "Something wrong, Yukari?"

"That's a pretty… small… swimsuit…" Yukari said.

"What, don't you know?" Akihiko said with a smile. "Swimsuits lie this reduce water resistance and –"

"Oh, that's okay…" Yukari said as she waved her hand. "It doesn't need to be justified." She looked at Minako, who has the 'I told you so' look. "Be quiet, Minako!"

"I didn't say anything though." She said with a teasing smile.

"Whatever…" Yukari said as she looked at Junpei. "Hey Junpei, what's the matter? You look even dumber than usual."

"Maaaan… Talk about a feast for the eyes." Junpei said with a laugh that sounded creepy. "Well, let's get started!"

"Huh?" The girls said as Junpei pointed to Yukari.

"Contestant number one, Takeba Yukari! As you can see, she's chosen a bold design—quite unexpected! It takes a lot of confidence to pull off a swimsuit like that!"

Yukari is wearing a bikini that had thin straps over the shoulders in a light blue color and around the lining of the bottom, while the pads of the top with a small decorative bow at the center of the bikini top, and she was wearing a very short, cut-off dark blue jean shorts.

"A more aggressive model than I had imagined!" Junpei continued. "Could her boldness come from the confidence that her club training has toned her bod!?"

"What!?" Yukari said as she was going to punch him when Junpei pointed to Minako.

"And check out our own Miss Leader! She's one cute mermaid herself!"

Mianko's bikini is a light pink base with small red dots print, both top and bottom, and it looks as though it was tied in the front as well as the bottoms were tied to the sides; a bit of a bold look.

"Those curves she usually keeps covered up are lookin' good! I can't tear my eyes away!"

"Stupei! Not another word from you!" Minato said, being shocked to silence before Junpei mentioned those things. "Senpai, where's your shirt!?"

"Thanks!" Minako said cheerfully as she did a pose, giving her brother a near heart attack.

"Maaaan, the beach is so great. I love this place!" Junpei cheered.

"Wear this shirt, right now, Sissy." Minato said as he held up Akihiko's shirt.

"Lighten up!" She said as she hugged him. "It's just us! I don't see anyone you should worry about."

"Wear. The. Damn. Shirt."

"Make. Me." With that the twins had a glaring contest as Fuuka came up, asking if the umbrella was taken.

"Oh… and here we have the lovely Miss Yamagishi." Junpei said, only to blush at the sight of her. "Wow, Fuuka, I had no idea you were so… I mean, you should wear a swimsuit more often!"

Fuuka wore a light turquoise bikini that tied at that top and covered her chest like a top, but the bottom was covered with a skirt, but she was quite stunning compared with the two other girls. She blushed as she gasped and she hid behind Minako.

"Oh come on, there's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Junpei said as he laughed, which was a tad bit creepy.

"Stop that creepy laugh, you perv!" Yukari said, as she looks as though she was ready to punch him.

"And here's our final contestant…" Junpei announced as Mitsuru came out, making the juniors jaws nearly drop.

Mitsuru came out with a white bikini with a clip on red tropical flower, and a wrap around white skirt that hid her bikini bottom, but the skirt was open on one side and tied there. She looked confused at the looks she's getting from the juniors. "Is something wrong?"

"Wow… Mitsuru-senpai, you're beautiful…" Fuuka said in amazement.

"Yeah, your skin is flawless!" Yukari said as she went up to the other. "Did you already put on sunscreen?"

"N-No, not yet." Mitsuru said as she blushed a bit.

"Wow… Senpai." Minako said as she looked at the senior girl. "You look absolutely amazing!"

"Thank you, you look quite cute in your own swimsuit." Mitsuru said calmly.

"Tell that to Toto-nii, he wants me to wear Akihiko-senpai's shirt because, apparently, I'm too cute to show myself up to the world."

xxx

With Minato, he was going to say something when Junpei mentioned him and Akihiko over to a guy group.

"Okay guys, level with me here… Which one's your type?" Junpei asked as he mentioned to the four girls talking about things and ignoring them for the moment.

"Why?" Minato asked.

"Because man, come on, I know you like someone out of the group."

"Besides my sister, right?" Minato confirmed as he looked back and looked at the girls and saw that his sister does look amazing in her swimsuit. But he looked at the other girls and admitted that Mitsuru looks like a model, beautiful and flawless. Fuuka is a surprising beauty in her own suit and it suits her, surprisingly enough. Yukari however had a different kind attention to her, and he had to be honest with himself that he couldn't keep his eyes away from her when they came down, only for that spell to break when Junpei started talking about his sister. He sighed as he said her name. "Yukari."

"Aha! Just as I thought." Junpei said, earning a confused look as he looked at Akihiko. "Senpai, same question."

"Huh?" Akihiko said as he really didn't want to be in this position. "I don't… want to say…"

"C'mon man. You scared?"

"I'm not!" He said as he looked back to the group of girls. He sighed as he looked at Minato. "I'm really sorry, Minato, but… I would pick Minako-chan."

"Sissy?" Minato said, his eyes went wide.

'I knew it!' Junpei thought as he saw that Minato was going into protective brother mode and would have to get the girls' attention on them asap. "Huh!? Really!?" He said a bit loudly, on purpose for the girls to look at them.

"K-Keep your voice down!" Akihiko said, having a bit of a small panic attack as the girls looked at them with raised brows.

'Good, now to end with a good note.' Junpei thought as he grinned. "Maaan, really? No joke?" He looked towards the girls, toward Minako, who looked clueless to what was going on. 'My cupid business is still running!'

"What're you smirking about?" Yukari said.

"Nothing?" Junpei said, playing the clueless card while the other two stood there, unsure what to do, now that Junpei knows who they like.

"Okaaay…" Yukari said, still suspicious about the other's behavior.

Junpei chuckled as he looked at the ocean. "Man, this is great! I'm in heaven!" He then turned back to face the others for a moment. "How 'bout a swim!?" He then faced back to the ocean. "Buh buh buh bump ba baaa! Charge!" He then ran towards the water.

"Whoa! I'm not letting you win that easily!" Akihiko called out as he ran after the other, but also to avoid Minato for a bit because he just admitted that he kinda likes Minako. He does like her, but not in that way, but he couldn't discount that he didn't feel something for her, he'd be an ass if he lied he didn't. 'Damn you Junpei!' He thought.

Minako laughed at the sight as she went up to her brother. "What was all that about? Or is that just more guy talk?" She asked him.

Minato was a little shaken of the idea of Akihiko liking his sister, but for now he would keep it a secret. He'll talk to the senior later, since it can't really be avoided. "Yeah, just stupid guy stuff." He said as he suddenly felt uneasy.

"Toto-nii?" She said, seeing the look as she looked behind her where the plants were thickest, also feeling that someone is watching them.

"Whoa, it's cold!" Junpei exclaimed as he laughed.

The twins looked to see Junpei was only half a leg deep before Akihiko grabbed him from the middle and threw him more into the water, making the other shout curses towards him. When they looked back at the thick vegetation, the feeling was gone.

"Hey!" Yukari called out. "Are you coming or what!?"

"Coming!" Minako called out as she grabbed her brother's hand. "Come on!"

Once they were there, Junpei started splashing on Yukari and Fuuka.

"Minato-kun! Minako-chan! Help!" Fuuka called.

"Oh come on! You like it!" Junpei called out as he splashed at the girls again. "You guys are gonna get wet anyway!"

Yukari wasn't pleased by this at all. "You-!" She was going to say when she was splashed in the face. "H-Hey, you're gonna pay for that! Take this!" She splashed water back at him. "Minako! Help me take him down!" She looked back but didn't see the twins.

Junpei was about to splash again, when two forms popped up from either side of him, grabbed his arms, and pushed him back towards the water, which he was then released and he went up for air, only to see the twins there, smiling down at him.

"You've just been dunked by the Arisato Twin's Underwater Sneak Attack Dunk!" Minako said.

"ATUSAD, for short." Minato said with a grin.

"All-Out Attack!" Yukari called as Junpei tried to swim for it only to be grabbed by his feet as Yukari splashed water to his face.

"RAWR!" Junpei roared as he grabbed Minako and carried her over his shoulder, which was much easier in the water. "I got you now! Ko-tan!"

Minako just laughed as she playfully played the damsel in distress. "Eeek! Help! A rare monster has captured me!"

"We'll get you back!" Yukari called out, smiling as she was also playing around. "Minato! Wanna team up?"

Minato smiled as he nodded. "I'd be glad to have you as my partner!" He said as he looked at Fuuka. "Fuuka, can you tell me the best way for either of us to get Sissy back?"

Fuuka giggled as she told them straight off that splashing him in the face was their best method of attack.

"Alright!" Minato called out as he and Yukari went in, splashing water on Junpei, before Minato went down and went behind Junpei, grabbed his trunks and pulled them down, making the targeted person to drop his load and both swam away.

"That was not cool man!" Junpei said, face red from embarrassment.

"When it comes to saving my sister… I'll kill to get her back." Minato said mysteriously and darkly that it nearly scared Junpei. But then he was pushed into the water.

"Tag! You're it!" Minako said as she swam away from her brother as he popped up back to the surface.

"Hah!" Junpei said as he swam away.

xxxxx

For an hour they played around in the water, Akihiko joining in sometime after the tag game began and became it, which works fine by him, having to swim hard and fast to catch up with some of the others before he caught Minako who popped up from swimming under water and didn't realize he was right beside her. After that hour, everyone started to tire out and went back to the shore, where everyone sat down on the sand, worn out from their play.

"Man… that was a ton of fun…" Junpei said, laid back onto the warm sand as the girls headed over to one umbrella with Mitsuru, who had some drinks brought out for them to refresh themselves.

"Yeah…" Minato said with a content sigh. 'I haven't felt this worn out and happy for a long time.' He thought, thinking back at the time when he was little and he was resting, like he was now, after playing a game with his father, which he can see his face clearly now.

He resembled his mother a bit, but he has his father's eyes. His father, as he remembered, always has some kind of mystery about him, but his eyes were always so expressive. And when they played together, just father and son, the expressions were endless as they would play wrestle, get their clothes dirty with grass and dirt stains that his mother would surely lecture them about it later, but at that moment, it was perfect.

"Yo! Minato!" Junpei called, snapping the other back to present. "You dozing off on me?"

"Nah, just remembering a good memory of me and my dad." He said.

"Your dad huh?"

"Yeah… When it was just me and him, we would rough house when Mom and Sissy had to go somewhere. Mom would lecture us when she got home, but we have no regrets." Minato said as he smiled. "This contentment is the same feeling I have when I was with him."

Junpei couldn't help but smile a bit bitterly, since he didn't have that kind of relationship with his own father. "Must be nice." He said as he noticed that Minato was now asleep.

"Hey, guys are you thirsty?" Yukari said as she came up, only to see that Minato was asleep. "Oh, he's asleep." She went quietly when she saw him asleep.

"Yeah, he's pretty worn out." Junpei said. "And nah, I'm not thirsty."

"Okay." Yukari said as she looked at Minato and couldn't help but noticed how peaceful he looked just then, making her blush as she made her way back to the small group of girls.

"She's so into you man." Junpei said to no one in particular as he noticed Akihiko and Minako talking, in which he saw Minako yawn and Akihiko seemed to ask her a question as she nodded, making him chuckle a bit as he placed a hand on her shoulder as he said something to her to make her nod and lie back onto the folding chair. "And he's so into her." He shook his head. "Man… Cupid makes matchmaking look so easy." He would like to see them get together already, but in a way it was a lot of fun watching an obvious display and watching the unsuspecting couple blossom to a full bloom. "Man… I gotta stop forcing myself to read those things…" He said as he looked at Minato, still asleep.

He'd figured Minato had a thing with Yukari for some time now, and vise versa. But he wasn't sure and so had to ask that question. He knew Minato was too much of a nice guy that the girls would no doubt fall in love with him due to that, kinda like the shoujo mangas he read that one time. Minato wasn't rich, but he wasn't bad looking and a good personality. Which a majority of the girls want in a guy and very, very few guys can pull off.

But all that was fine by him. He knows for a fact that Minako likes who he is. Sure they're only friends, but that gave him some kind of hope that there was someone out there that was a match for him. But like the two unsuspecting couples, he was just gonna have to wait his own turn. For now he'll enjoy his freedom, teasing the other girls that masks his compliments, and hanging out with friends that get his sense of humor until that day comes.

xxx

With Minako, she went over to the other umbrella and folding chair after their game of ocean tag. What she didn't notice until she got there was some of the guys' stuff there as Akihiko came up to grab a towel to dry himself off.

"Hey Minako-chan, everything okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Just a little worn out from playing tag." She said as he dried off enough to put his shirt on. "Are you enjoying yourself as well?"

Akihiko chuckled as he nodded. "Yeah, I did." He said as he looked around at everyone. "Everyone seems to be having fun… That's a good thing, I suppose."

"Yep!" She said as she sat down on the folding chair as she noticed the solemn expression on his face. "Akihiko-senpai? What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"You usually have a certain look when you're thinking."

"I do?" He said as she giggled and nodded. He couldn't help but smile a bit as he spoke. "I was just thinking that our operations during the Dark Hour put a lot of stress on us. And that you should relax a little, and rest up." And with that she saw her yawn. "Tired?"

"Yeah, looks like I'm more worn out than I thought." She said as he chuckled.

"Well, it looks like we're not going anywhere for some time." He said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "How about you just lie back and take a nap. It won't do you any good if you keep forcing yourself awake."

She nodded as she did lie down on the folding chair. "I think I'll do that. Looks like Brother is ahead of me." She looked over to see her brother is fast asleep on the sand next to Junpei who was close to following as well.

"Yeah, he definitely is." He said. "But he'll fry out there." He looked down to see her fast asleep and he couldn't help but smile as he moved a wet bang away from her face, seeing the peaceful expression on her face that reminded him so much of his sister, that it gave his heart a twinge of guilt.

He went over to pick up Minato, and carried him over to the other fold out chair next to the girl and both took a nap under the shade of the umbrella.

xxxxx

Soon the twins woke up and it was time to go.

"Man, you guys slept most of the day away!" Junpei said.

"What did you expect?" Minato said, a bit drowsy still from waking up as Minako yawned and stretched.

"Come on, sleepy heads." Yukari said. "We have to wash up. Unless you like sand being stuck on you." She looked at Minato, who wiped some sand off of him.

Minako giggled as she and her brother got up and headed back to the vacation home to clean and change.

xxxxx

Sometime shortly after everyone headed to their rooms to clean up, Mitsuru was first to go out and changed for the evening as she walked up to her father that as in the hallway that everyone was at when they arrived.

"It's been a while." She said with a smile as the man looked at her with a solemn expression. "I'm glad that you're in good health…"

"Our guests are residents of the dorm, I presume." Her father said.

"I'm sorry for bringing such a crowd…" Mitsuru apologized.

"I heard you told them about the incident." He said as she nodded. "Why did you hide it so long?" He asked, concern was strong in his tone.

"I wasn't hiding it…" Mitsuru said, sounding a little caught off guard.

"I've told you time and again; none of the blame is yours."

"But…"

" 'Two in harmony surpasses one in perfection'." The man said as he looked solemn but serious. "That has been our guiding principle since the Kirijo Family separated from the Nanjo Group." He paused as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "You must learn to trust in others, Mitsuru. There are things in this world that cannot be accomplished alone, no matter how many sacrifices you make."

"… Yes, Father." Mitsuru said, but not sounding sure.

"You accessed our database, didn't you?" He asked her seriously as he sighed. "That's another thing… Why didn't you ask me directly, instead of using this trip as an excuse?"

"I'm… I'm sorry."

He started to walk away before stopping short. "Bring them here. All of them." This seemed to surprise Mitsuru as he continued. "I had no intention of concealing the truth from them. I've made preparations to disclose everything."

"Everything?"

"There's a girl named Takeba in your group, correct? For her to awaken to her power… It must be fate…"

"Father…?" She said as he continued to walk ahead. She seemed a bit guilty, knowing what her father plans to do.

"Senpai…?"

Mitsuru was a bit shocked and turned to see Minako. "Minako-chan…?" She said as she saw her come out from one of the pillars, looking a bit guilty from eavesdropping. "How much did you hear?"

"I walked in when he told you that the blame wasn't yours…" She said as she looked up at Mitsuru. "Senpai… Is it something that's related to what Yukari talked about that one night? And what you told us?"

Mitsuru nodded. "Yes…" She said as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Go on ahead to the reception room."

"We'll get the others together. Only because I don't know where on earth the reception room is."

Mitsuru smiled as she nodded. "Very well." She said as they both headed down the hall to get everyone and headed to the reception room.


	99. Episode 98: Yakushima - Day 1: Reveal

Ep. 98: Yakushima-Day 1: Reveal

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/20-

Everyone gathered in the reception room of the Kirijo vacation home, everyone but Mitsuru and Minako were confused as to what is going on, even Minato who tried to get something out of his sister when she came to get him, but he only got a 'We'll find out soon' from her and that seemed to trouble him. The tension settled a little when Mitsuru's father, Kirijo Takeharu, walked into the room.

"Evening." He said as he went into the heart of the matter. "From what I understand, Mitsuru has already given you the short version."

"Oh, yes…" Yukari said, now realizing what this is all about as Takeharu continued.

"Well, it's true… We adults are to blame. If I could've atoned for it with my life, I would have done so…"

This made Mitsuru slightly flinch, as Minako noticed.

"Now, I have no choice but to rely on you. What my father wanted to create with those monsters' power… was a time manipulation device."

"That's what he was trying to do?" Mitsuru asked, apparently this was news to her as her father nodded.

"Imagine if you could control the flow of time… eliminate unwanted events before they occur. With such a device, you could shape the future to your liking."

"Damn, that's insane…" Junpei said while he, along with everyone else in the room, thought along the same lines as how crazy this idea was and just what kind of events did the late Kirijo wanted to do if he would've succeeded.

"However, under my father's direction, the research began to stray from its original goal. In his later years, my father seemed to have only nihilism in his heart. Now that I think about it, his madness may have resulted from his struggle to break free from that…" He took a deep breath before continuing. "It's only natura that you want to know the truth… and it's my duty to tell you." He brought out a remote, pressed a button to make on painting go in and up inside the wall, bringing out a large screen television out and the lights in the room turned off as old footage played on the screen.

"What's this…?" Akihiko asked.

"This is the only exisiting footage of the accident, recorded by a scientist who was at the scene." Takeharu explained.

"A video recording?" Mitsuru said, yet another thing she didn't know about.

'Like father like daughter…' Minako thought as she and everyone else looked at the scene in the screen. The setting looks like a lab and was in the brink of chaos with sounds of warnings and some electronic devices started to make loud sounds before sparks started t fly out from it. But in the center of the chaos, there stood a figure of the man, but the footage was in poor quality, making it hard for the man's face to be seen.

"_I pray that this recording reaches safe hands…"_ Said the man on the recording.

"That voice…!?" Yukari whispered, making Minato look at her for a moment, since he was sitting next to her.

"_My employer has become obsessed with a loathsome idea."_ The scientist continued. _"This experiment should have never even been conceived… I'm afraid what I've done will result in an unprecedented disaster… But if I hadn't, the entire world may have paid the price…"_

"The entire world?" Fuuka questioned.

"_Please, listen carefully…"_ The scientist continued. _"The Shadows that were amassed here have been dispersed as a result of the explosion. To end this nightmare, you must eliminate all of them! I am to blame for this. I knew the risks, but I was blinded by the promise of success… And so, I didn't raise any objections…"_ Then the picture became clear enough to show the man's face. _"It is all my fault…"_ And after that the scene showed an explosion, and the recording ended.

After that, the lights came back on, and Yukari seemed shocked beyond words.

"…Dad…" Yukari managed to breathe out, which everyone heard.

"You mean… that was…?" Fuuka said, looking shocked as Yukari looked down at her lap, her hands clenched into fists on her knees.

"Father…" Mitsuru spoke, but she was also shocked to see what she saw.

"His name was Takeba Eiichiro… He was the head reasearcher at the time, and a very talented man." Takeharu said. "But, we are the ones who are responsible. We pushed him to continue the research." He looked to Yukari, who had yet to look up. "The Kirijo Group is to blame for his death." His tone was heavy with a kind of guilt when he said this.

"I… I can't believe it…" Mitsuru said.

"So, that means…" Yukari finally spoke "my dad caused it all…?" She started to shake. "The Dark Hour, Tartarus… The people who died in that incident… It was all his fault…?"

"Y-You okay?" Akihiko cautioned to ask as Yukari looked up.

"So, that's why you were hiding this…?" Yukari said, her eyes set on Mitsuru. "Because you felt sorry for me? Is that it!?" She glared at the senior.

"No, Takeba, I…" Mitsuru tried to say as Yukari stood up.

"I don't' want your pity!" She yelled out angrily and ran out of the room.

"Takeba!" Mitsuru called out, but didn't make any other movement.

"Um… Shouldn't someone go after her?" Fuuka asked as everyone was in a state of shock.

Mitsuru looked shocked and guilty as she spoke. "Arisato…" She said, meaning the twins. "Please, go after her…"

"Sure…" He said.

"I understand…" She said as they left and headed out to where they were much earlier on in the day by the shore.

xxxxx

When they saw her standing by the water's edge and they went up to her.

"I believed in him for so long…" Yukari said, which they caught thanks to the wind. "This is too much…"

"Yukari…" Minato said as he stood next to her, with his sister taking the other side.

"Minato-kun… Minako-chan…" She said, sounding upset yet somewhat dead at the same time as she looked to him. "Remember what I told you guys at the hospital? How my dad died when I was little?"

They nodded.

"You understand now, right? He died in that incident." She said as she held her hands together, a tight grip on them. "Nobody knew the truth, so there were all sorts of rumors… Because he was in charge of the research team, people were really mean to me and my mom…" She then looked down at the water gently lapping onto the wet sand, not reaching to their feet. "We even had to move a few times."

"I see…" Minako said.

"That must've been tough." Minato said, having no idea just how much of a scar she bared all this time. 'That explains so much of why she suspects the way she did towards Mitsuru…'

"… Yeah." Yukari said as she looked up at the ocean's horizon. "But all this time, I kept telling myself it wasn't his fault. I loved him a lot, and I believed he'd never do anything wrong." She sighed as she looked up at the night sky. "I received a letter back in the spring. It was from him, written ten years ago…" She managed a small, but sad if not broken smile. "It cracked me up cuz, even though it said 'To my family', it was pretty much all about me." Her small smile disappeared. "That only made me believe in him more…"

She then looked back down as she wrapped her arms around herself. "When I found out I had a special power, I thought it was fate." She said as she held herself a bit more. "I was scared, but I thought if I cooperated with the Kirijo Group, I might find out what really happened. That's why I agreed to fight using my Persona." She then hunched over a bit as she was shaking slightly. "But, it turns out… all of that was for nothing…"

"That's not true." The twins said, making Yukari laugh slightly bitterly.

"You're just trying to make me feel better." She said as she looked up with a sad smile and her eyes were closed, but there were tears trying to come out. "Why does reality have to be so harsh? I tried so hard to fight my fear, and this is what I get…" She then wiped her eyes and looked down at the ground once more. "Maybe I'm just jealous of Mitsuru-senpai. I mean, why my father and not hers…?" She then laughed bitterly. "I'm a horrible person, aren't I?"

"No, you're not…" Minato said.

"That's not true!" Minako said.

Yukari then seemed angry as she looked at Minato. "Well, you're just Mr. Perfect. Hardly anything ever fazes you unless it's regarding Minako." She then looked over to Minako. "And you, stop acting like you have all the answers! You two got a lot of nerve to try and tell me how to feel!? You don't know anything!" She yelled as the twins stood there, not showing any emotion as she calmed down and realized what she just said. "I'm sorry…" She held her head. "My head's a mess… I'm so afraid… I don't know what to do anymore… I'm totally lost…" She started to cry. "Tell me… What should I do…?"

Minako went up to Yukari and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Believe in your dad." She said.

Minato went up as well so that the other girl would be able to face him. "Don't lose hope."

"Keep believing…?" Yukari asked as she wiped her tears, but her voice still sounded broken as she managed a weak and broken smile. "I'm sorry for acting like this. You two lost your parents, too. You guys are truly one-of-a-kind, even as twins you two have your own ways to move on…" She took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders. "But, I'm alright now… I'm used to dealing with stressful situations."

"I bet…" Minako said.

"Anyway, thanks for listening." Yukari said as she started to smile a little. "Lemme guess… Senpai asked you to bring me back, right?"

"She did…" Minako said as she looked at her brother with a smile.

"But we would've gone after you even if they didn't ask us." Minato said with a smile of his own.

Yukari giggled as she blushed. "You guys…" She said as she laughed with her eyes red and puffy from crying.

Minako elbowed her brother and mentioned him to do something, using the silent exchange, in which Minato blushed and looked surprised as she turned to walk away.

"I'm going to let the others know you're okay." Minako said as she ran away from the two.

Yukari simply nodded as she started to calm down when she looked up at Minato. "Sorry, again, for what I said."

"Don't worry about it." He said as he looked up at the moon, which was just a sliver of a smile. "You know… I was kinda like you. Ever since our parents died and Sissy and I had to go from relative after relative before staying with Her, I would sometimes see the kids with their parents and think 'You guys are lucky to still have parents, I don't have anyone to discipline me when I do something wrong or to go out for ice cream anymore'. And I didn't like the look people would give us, those pitying looks that scream 'Oh those poor dears, they're parentless'. But… I couldn't really wish for them to experience that kind of pain… Even when some of the kids tease us when they found out, I just couldn't bring myself to wish that they would understand that loss... And because of that, I believed that me and Sissy are better off just being the background and never being noticed and never get involved with anyone. I believed that we were destined for no other reason but being invisible to the world."

Yukari was surprised to hear that.

"But ever since that incident that night with that one Shadow, when we awoke to our power… It felt so surreal… Even now it still feels like a dream, but I'm glad it happened. It's thanks to that we have something, some kind of reason, to be part of something. That's why, when Mitsuru-senpai asked us to be part of SEES, at first I wasn't entirely sure, because, up to that point, Sissy and I practically made it that far by not getting involved in anything… But when we were making our way to Iwatodai, Sissy and I made a promise to each other that we should make an effort to give ourselves a fresh start." He chuckled. "Though… This whole thing isn't what I had in mind… But it's a good alternative." He looked over to her. "I mean, we got to meet you and everyone… That's something I don't regret…"

Yukari blushed as she seemed guilty. "I'm so sorry… I had no idea… And here I am thinking about myself." She said as Minato hugged her.

"Don't apologize for that… Ever…" He said as he liked the feeling of holding her.

Yukari seemed surprised as she was going to hug back when Junpei's voice boomed in the silent night air.

"Hey!"

Out of shock, Yukari pushed Minato out of the embrace, and pushed a bit too hard for he didn't have time to react and fell back onto the sand. She was going to apologize when Junpei went up to them, with Minako following behind.

"Sheesh…" Junpei said as he gasped. "What's taking you so long? Everybody's… waiting…" He looked down to see Minato getting up from the cold, damp sand. "Dude, why are you on the ground?"

Yukari seemed panicked as Minato replied.

"I tried to make her laugh." Minato said bluntly. "I failed." He then thought. 'You have really bad sense of reading the atmosphere…'

Yukari was a bit dumbstruck before she started to giggle.

"Never mind." Minato said as he smiled.

"Yeah, well… It's almost the Dark Hour, so we should get back."

"Huh?" Yukari said as she calmed down from her giggling. "Oh, yeah, that's right… I-I almost forgot… It doesn't matter where you are when the Dark Hour comes…" She tried to hide her slight nervousness as Minato went up to dust off the sand off of him.

"Sheesh, it's just common sense!" Junpei said with a grin. "Even I remembered."

"Well, we've been in Iwatodai where most of the activity happens." Minako said. "And being in such a beautiful place like this… even I forget that we're not safe anywhere when the Dark Hour comes."

"Yeah, I guess I know what you mean." Junpei said as Yukari looked back out to the ocean's horizon.

"You know, I've been thinking lately…" She said, gaining the other three's attention. "Once you awaken to the power of Persona, you remember everything that happens during the Dark Hour… It's like trading away your innocence… In exchange for power, you can no longer look away from the things you don't want to see." There was a pausing silence as she turned to them. "So, I guess I'm stuck with you guys, huh?"

The three smiled as Junpei spoke. "Yup."

"We couldn't back out now, after coming so far together." Minako said. "I can't imagine how we would've done it without anyone here now."

"Life is filled with sacrifices and exchanges." Minato said. "That won't change… How you go about it afterwards depends on you, but that doesn't mean you have to do it alone."

Yukari nodded.

"Well!" Junpei said with a smile. "Now that that's settled, let's get back!" And with that he and Yukari headed up to the path back to the vacation home.

Minako had a look towards her brother, who blushed as they were about to follow the other two when they felt that they were being watched and looked around.

"Yo! I know the beach is pretty at night, but Mitsuru-senpai will have my ass served on a platter if you guys don't come as well!" Junpei called out, making the feeling go away.

"Okay!" Minako said as she and her brother ran to catch up to the other two, where they were led to their rooms to have a good night's sleep.


	100. Ep99:Yakushima-Day2:Tank Searched and

Ep. 99: Yakushima - Day 2: Tank Search and Operation "Babe Hunt"

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/21-

The next morning, Minako woke up early as usual and was dressed in one of her new outfits when she received a text from Fuuka, saying that the girls were going out on a hike to see the cryptomeria tree, a world heritage site, and wondered if she would join. Well, considering that Mitsuru and Yukari were going to have that awkward tension between them, she would have to be the neutral party and go along to be sure nothing happened. She is the female leader after all. She replied that she would be happy to join and headed out to join them.

xxxxx

Sometime, later, Minato woke up from the sound of his cell going off and looked to see that it was Junpei, saying that they were going down to the beach again and got up, changed for a day at the beach, and headed down.

xxxxx

With the girls, they were walking through the thick vegetation, following the path to get to the tree. Fuuka took a deep breath and sighed contently.

"Ah, the air is so fresh…" She said as Minako agreed. "I never thought a walk in the woods could be so enjoyable. You can't do this in Iwatodai."

"Well, Iwatodai is a town-city… It can't be helped…" Minako said as she sensed the thick atmosphere between Mitsuru and Yukari, who were avoiding eye contact and verbal communication since they started the walk.

Fuuka seemed to sense this as well as she tried to find something to talk about that either of the girls would jump in. "Oh, so listen to this…" She said, looking at Minako, being in the same boat as she is. "Junpei was acting like such a pervert yesterday, and I didn't know how to react… It's probably a good thing we came out here by ourselves…"

"I know Junpei does act that way, but that's just his way of complimenting us yesterday. After all, it's not every day we wear something like that. Right, Yukari?" Minako said.

"Huh? Oh, yeah…" Yukari said, not really paying attention.

The two juniors looked a bit stuck on what to do. 'This is so awkward…' Minako thought as Mitsuru's cell started going off, in which Mitsuru picked up and answered it.

"Mitsuru speaking…" She said. "One moment, let me switch over to speakerphone." She held the cell out and pressed a button. "Please continue."

"_Well, I'm at the lab here on the island…"_ The Chairman's voice spoke out from the cell. _"And a machine that was considered inoperable suddenly left the facility on its own…"_

"A machine…?" Yukari questioned.

"What kind of machine is it?" Fuuka asked. "I need detailed information to locate anything other than Shadows…"

"_It's a combat vehicle—an anti-Shadow weapon, to be precise."_

"A combat vehicle?" Yukari said, sounding a bit surprised. "You mean like a tank!? We gotta let the others know!" She started to look around her person. "Where's my cell?" She found it as she started to look at the list.

"We're not currently with the others," Mitsuru informed "so it might take some time for us all to assemble."

"_I see… Well, regardless, I want you to handle this as soon as possible. I'm on my way there now."_

"If the target cannot be captured, do we have permission to destroy it?" Mitsuru asked, making the man laugh.

"_I highly doubt you'll be able to destroy it."_

"What?" Fuuka said, sounding surprised. "Then how are we supposed to stop it?"

"_Just do your best. I'll call you again later."_ And with that he ended the call.

"Great, no one's answering." Yukari said as she snapped her phone shut.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go back and get our equipment." Mitsuru said as she put away her cell. "Then we can have Yamagishi's Persona scan the area. Although, this island is quite large…"

"Geeze!" Yukari said as they started heading back. "Where could they be!?"

"At the beach I'm guessing…" Minako said. "Junpei really did want to go to the beach. And I think he intends to do that while we're here."

Yukari sighed. "That Stupei…"

xxx

Meanwhile, Minato joined up with the guys on the beach, his sister and the other girls not to be seen.

"Hey man!" Junpei said as he smiled. "Huh? Are the girls not up yet? Man, what lazybones! The ocean's not gonna sit around and wait for us, ya know?"

"You're right. Once the sun sets, the water temperature drops, tiring you out much faster." Akihiko said.

"Huh? Uhh, I guess…" Junpei said as he sighed. "Is that what you're worried about?"

"I thought they're here… Sissy's not in the room when I woke up."

"Huh? Seriously?" Junpei said. "Then where are they?"

"That reminds me." Akihiko said as he held up a piece of paper. "One of the maids gave me a letter as we were leaving…" Junpei swiped the letter before he had a chance to finish what he was going to say next. "Whoa, hey, Junpei!"

"No buts!" Junpei said as he held the piece of paper in the air with a grin. "I ain't letting any love letters from a lovely maid slip through my fingers!"

"How dumb can you get?" Akihiko said as he sweat-dropped.

"Not to mention many of those maids are older than they appear…" Minato said as Junpei looked at the piece of paper.

"Uhh, let's see here…" He said as he looked at the paper in his hand, grinning as he was expecting something along the lines of a confession. "This says, 'We've gone to see the Jyomon-Cedar Tree'. Huh?" His face fell, not expecting to read something like that.

Akihiko looked over Junpei's shoulder. "It looks like Fuuka's handwriting…"

Minato looked as well and nodded in confirmation. "That's her handwriting alright."

"Aw man!" Junpei said, obviously bummed by this. "We're at an island resort in the middle of summer! Why don't they go to the beach!? That's just not right!"

"Well, it is your fault." Akihiko said as Minato nodded in agreement, both remembering what the other said and acted towards the girls' swimwear.

"Whaddya mean?" Junpei asked. "I-I just wanted to lighten up the mood…"

"I don't want to hear it." Akihiko and Minato said in unison.

"Okay… that's just creepy…" Junpei said as he pointed to them. "I can get you and Ko-tan doing that because you're twins and all, but you and Akihiko... I don't have words for it." He then shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter, anyway…" He then looked determined. "We're on our own now, just the guys! If you're outta ammo, you pick it up on the battlefield! That's one of the most basic military tactics!"

"Huh?" Minato said. 'Is it really?' He thought as Junpei grinned proudly.

"We'll call this Operation Babe Hunt!"

" 'Babe Hunt'?" Akihiko repeated questionably. "You mean, like, pick up girls…?"

"Whaddya think, Akihiko-san?" Junpei said as he playfully elbowed the other's side. "With you on the squad, we're guaranteed to succeed!"

"Nah, I'll pass…" Akihiko said.

"Ooh… scared you're gonna lose?" Junpei teased.

"Wh-What!?"

"Hey, I'm not judging you. Most guys would rather back down than lose."

"All right…" Akihiko said as he seemed determined. "We're doing this!" He looked at Minato. "I'm appointing you our leader as usual." Akihiko pointed out, shocking Junpei.

"What!? WHY!?"

"You said yourself this is an operation." Akihiko said casually.

"Aw, man, that's bullshit!" Junpei complained as he looked over to Minato and pointed to him. "You better take this seriously… It's an important operation."

Minato gave him the thumbs up.

"And, the loser buys dinner at Hagakure when we get back home!" Akihiko added.

"Let's begin the operation." Minato said bluntly, but still had his poker face on.

"Loser?" Junpei questioned. "Whaddya mean loser? Wait, we're gonna go hit on them separately!?" He stood there as the other two parted ways. He sighed as he went up to the first gal he found and went up to her, only to be dejected straight off.

Akihiko didn't do so great either as he talked about something that is more fitting in a health education class.

Minato was able to chat with at least one woman, but then said woman's boyfriend came up and was giving him a warning look to back off. 'I'm not really interested in her anyway…' He thought. 'She was just kinda fun to talk to…'

xxxxx

Soon they regrouped, being unsuccessful.

"Let's try doing this together this time." Junpei said as he looked around to see two young women by one umbrella and smiled. "Beep… Beep… BEEP! Target confirmed!" He pointed the girls out. "Let's move in for the kill!" He then turned to the two. "This is my area of expertise, so listen up…" He looked at the two seriously. "First off, think of something to talk about—something they might be interested in. Give them an easy question to get the ball rollin'. That's the golden rule."

"Sounds logical…" Minato said, still having a poker face on.

"Somethin' like, 'Where're you from?' or 'Havin' fun?' Pretty soon, you'll be tossin' questions and answers back and forth like you're playin' catch." Junpei said as he nodded. "I'll start things off, and you can ask the questions, alright?" He looked to Minato, who nodded. "Here we go." With that they both went up to the girls. "Hey, ladies!"

"Where are you from?" Minato asked.

"None of your business." Said a girl in a green bikini.

"Hey, no need to be shy…" Junpei said. "We don't bite."

"Why should we tell you?" Said a girl in an orange bikini top and tan shorts.

"Come on, cut us some slack…" Junpei said, feeling their cold rejections as their questioning eyes seem to bore holes into his skin. "We just wanna talk."

"I thought you said you were an expert…" Akihiko said dully.

"Hold your horses…" Junpei said to the senior. "I'm just getting warmed up. Watch and learn…" He turned back to look at the girls and smiled. "So, ladies, are you in college?"

"Umm…" The girl in orange started to speak. "Don't tell me you guys are still in high school…"

"Nope, not us." Minato said, surprising Akihiko and Junpei.

'He can't be serious…'

"Seriously? You sure look like high schoolers from here." Said the girl in green.

Junpei coughed. "S-Sorry, that's a lie." He said as he did a quick glare that spoke 'WTF Man!?'

"Oh, really?" Said the girl in green. "High school kids vacationing in Yakushima? That kind of pissses me off."

"Well, we were invited to our friend's vacation home…" Akihiko said honestly. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Good for your friend." Said the girl in orange. "We, on the other hand," She mentioned to herself and her friend "have to pay for our vacation with our hard-earned money."

"I guess we're just lucky…" Junpei said, he can tell this was going way south.

"Yeah, lucky you." Said the girl in orange, clearly annoyed by them. "Whaddya want, anyway?"

"We came to hit on you." Minato said bluntly.

'What the hell man…?' Junpei thought.

"Huh?" The girl in green said as she giggled. "You're pretty bold…"

"Hey, stop giving them compliments and just ignore 'em…" Said the girl in orange.

"W-Wait, don't do that!" Junpei slightly begged. "How can you blame us for wanting to talk to such beautiful women?"

The girl in orange sighed. "These guys are full of shit."

"Yeah, let's get outta here." Said the girl in green as she and her friend were about to leave.

"Bye." Minato said, not going to bother the women anymore.

"So much for your 'expertise'." Akihiko said with a bit of a smile.

Junpei turned to the senior and pointed at him. "Hey, I did my best!" He said, a bit ticked off. "What about you, Senpai!? You think you can do better? Come on, show us what you got."

"Wh-Why should I?" Akihiko asked.

"Well, you're supposed to be a tactical master, right?" Junpei said. "And, isn't it our duty to help each other succeed?"

Akihiko didn't say anything for a moment before sighing. "I guess you have a point there. Fine. I'll give it a shot. I'm sure I'll do better than you." He then looked at Minato. "Can you give me a hand, Minato? I'll set the pace, of course."

"Sure thing." Minato said as Junpei pointed out to a woman in the distance.

"Hey, Commander, look! There's a lady all alone!" Junpei said with a smile. "That means she's waiting for someone to hit on her! We're guaranteed some success with this one!"

They headed over there, in which the woman looked up and smiled in a way that's supposed to be seductively.

"Hey, cutie pies…" She said with a creepy chuckle. "Can I help you?" Unlike the younger girls, the woman, though older, was wearing a black, but very revealing bikini, as if she intentionally tried to get attention.

"Uhh, he-hello…" Junpei said, now looking as if he made a grave mistake. "Excuse us… We're looking for the restroom!" He looked over to Minato and whispered. "He-Hey, Minato… She's pretty… old… up close!"

Minato agreed, although he looked calm and collected on the outside, in his mind warning bells were going off as he can see the woman's make-up that, without a doubt, she had to cake on to make her look young. "Let's stop this…" He whispered back, not wanting to get any more involved with the woman then they already did.

"Hey, what are you whispering about?" The woman asked as she moved, intentionally in a way that would make men droll in the movies, but she just made the guys feel really uncomfortable.

"Oh, uh…" Junpei said as the sirens in his head were blaring 'GTFO!'

"You guys are in high school, aren't you?"

"Ye-Yes!" Junpei said. "You have a good eye!"

"I can't help it. My job-" The woman was about to continue when she waved her hand. "Well, that's not important." She smiled at them. "You guys wanna have some fun?"

"Ohh, uhhhh…" Junpei said as he was starting to inch back. "That's not right, is it? I mean, our ages…"

"…What?" The woman said.

"A… Akihiko-san! It's your turn!" He said as he looked at the senior, moving quickly off to the side. "It was your turn anyway, and you're closer in age to her!"

"Uh… Oh." Akihiko said as he faced the woman. "Well…" He said as the woman came up to him.

"You have a nice body." She said as she studied him. "You're thin, yet muscular…" She smiled. "I choose you!" She announced. "You want to go on a vacation to the world of romance with me?"

"Uh, not reall-" He started to say, feeling the warning bells and sirens going off as he felt like he was going to get sick.

The woman giggled. "You're gonna have to keep this a secret from everybody else!" She said as she reached out and touched his chest.

"Hey, don't… Don't touch me!" Akihiko said, really uncomfortable with this situation.

"Junpei, go!" Minato said.

"Me!?" Junpei said as he was pushed a bit, making the woman and Akihiko look at him. Akihiko looked desperate for help, which didn't really fit the senior at all. "Oh, uhhh… G… G-g-g-g-g-g-g-g…" He started to say, finding the courage to say it.

" 'Guh'?" The woman questioned.

"G… Grandma!" Junpei shouted.

The atmosphere seemed to have stilled when that was said, and the woman's face started to tremble, showing a bit more of her true age as she was stunned.

"R…. RRRRRRun!" Junpei called out as he grabbed Akihiko as they ran for it, making sure they were as far away from the stunned old woman until they couldn't see her.

When they were far enough, Junpei sighed in relief. "That was close!" He said while Akihiko looked as though he was violated. "You okay?"

"No." Akihiko said bluntly. "I feel sick…"

"I won't blame ya man…" Junpei said. "She didn't seem that old far away, but up close…"

"Never mention this again." Minato said, feeling sorry for Akihiko. 'Maybe I should let Sissy talk to him…' He may not like the idea that the senior might have a liking towards his little sister, but he wasn't that much of an ass to the other, since he did respect him very much to even let him be near his sister. And he did apologize when he answered the question, so he did know the risks for being honest.

Once they gathered themselves up, Akihiko noticed a woman sitting under an umbrella.

"There's a woman all alone…" He said. "I hope we don't have an experience like last time…"

'He's scared for life…' Both juniors thought seeing the uncomfortable look on the senior's face, which didn't look good on him at all.

Junpei smiled as he patted the other's back. "It's okay. What are the odds of it happening again?"

"He has a point." Minato said.

"And I feel success in the air this time!" Junpei said as he seemed determined as he headed up to the woman in a yellow bikini. "Excuse me, miss!"

"Hello!" Said a very pretty young woman. "Can I help you?"

"Whoa, she's hot…" Junpei said as he blushed. "Uhh… Are you alone?"

"Yeah. I'm so bored." She said casually with a smile. "And, I'd been spying on you. You've been trying to pick up girls for a while. Well, how'd you do?"

"Mission failed." Minato said honestly, making the woman laugh.

"That's what I thought. You guys don't understand women at all."

"Uh… oops…?" Junpei said, a bit caught off-guard that someone was actually watching them fail.

"You in the hat," She said as she pointed to Junpei "you're way too wrapped up in yourself. You don't think about doing anything for the GIRL to make HER feel special."

"Yes, ma'am…" Junpei said as he bowed his head in shame.

"You in the T-shirt," She pointed to Akihiko "you're the stoic type, but not very experienced around girls."

"Y-You may be right." Akihiko said as he thought about all the times he worked along-side Mitsuru, which in a way didn't count as experience of this type, he didn't really care much for the girls that hound him at school, there's Yukari and Fuuka which he only sees as teammates, and then there's Minako, who he confided in the most next to Mitsuru. 'But I always seem to do well around her…'

"Or, rather," The woman said as she studied him a little "you seem like someone who's too much of a hassle to be with. Like, you're super-logical about everything."

"Well…" He said as he wasn't sure. 'Am I?' He thought as he noticed something on the woman. 'Huh?'

"And you," She said as she pointed to Minato "with the long hair… I'm not sure about you." She studied him a little longer than Akihiko.

"What do you mean?" Minato asked, knowing the woman is going to give it to him anyway as she chuckled.

"I mean, you're mysterious. You've got that whole 'androgyny' thing going on. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah…" He said. 'Well… when you grow up with a twin sister… it tends to give some feminine characteristics for survival. I'm not surprised that Sissy's the same with some masculine characteristics to get along with the guys…'

"Aw, you're so smart." She said as she nodded. "I think you're my type."

"H-Hey, wait a second!" Junpei spoke up.

"Juuuust joking…" She sang and giggled. "I like you a lot, too…"

"R-Really!?" Junpei said as he blushed.

"Do you want me to teach you…" She said with a smile that's borderline playful and seducing "how to make ME feel special…?"

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!"

"But three versus one is too much…" She said as she tapped her chin. "Can I pick one? I want someone fun…" She smiled coyly "and with a big heart."

"How about Junpei?" Minato said, pointing to said junior, who looks as though he was going to praise him in thanks.

"Yeaaaah! Nice choice!" Junpei said happily.

"But…" Akihiko spoke up, looking troubled by something. "There's something that's been bothering me for a while…"

"Yes, what is it?" She asked.

"It's just…" He said, not sure how to say this to make it easier. "Th-There's something on your chin there…" He pointed to the spot on his own chin where he saw a dark hair sticking out.

"What? What?" The woman said as she seemed startled. "Did I miss a spot?" 'She' felt around 'her' chin and sighed.

"A-Are… you…" Akihiko started to say, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. 'I don't know what's worse…'

The 'lady' sighed. "There goes my chance… I was so close to snagging myself a little boy-toy."

Junpei was shocked when he caught up to what was going on. "This… can't be happening…"

'Oh crap…' Minato thought as he remembered the other meaning to 'androgyny'.

The 'lady' got up with a calm smile on 'her' face. "Maybe it was too early for you boys, anyway." 'She' said with a chuckle. "Come see me when you're ready to have your horizons broadened." And with that 'she' left, leaving the guys feeling foolish and a sense of failure hung into the air was as thick as the smell of a fishery.

Junpei sighed dejectedly. "This sucks… We're zero for three…"

Akihiko sighed, feeling the same kind of defeat the other was feeling.

"I'm sorry Junpei…"

"Not your fault man, if Senpai didn't pick that up…" He shivered. "I don't even want to think about it…" He then looked at Akihiko. "What's wrong? I thought you weren't interested in picking up chicks."

"If I'm in a match, I want to win." Akihiko said, plain and simple, making Junpei sigh. "I know what our problem is… You can't control yourself."

"What!? Don't blame this on me!" He said with a glare.

"I'm just stating the obvious." He said calmly.

"B-But, you haven't scored either! Why do you always gotta be so logical, even in front of babes!? It doesn't make any sense! That indirect approach of yours isn't gonna help you score..."

"What did you just say?" Akihiko said, getting ticked off. "So you're saying I should use cheesy come-ons like yours?"

"Honesty is the best policy!" Junpei said, also getting ticked off. "I mean, who wants to listen to a guy drone on about muscles and shit of that nature!?"

"Enough already!" Akihiko said as he looked to Minato, who stood there watching them bicker the whole time. "Leader, whose fault do you think it is?"

Minato raised both hands and pointed to the two. "It's both your faults."

"I won't accept a stalemate!" Akihiko said, a tad angry. "It's either him or me!"

"Yeah!" Junpei agreed. "This is serious… now, tell us… who's…" He stopped suddenly as he looked behind Minato.

"What's the matter?" Akihiko asked. "You see something?" He looked to where Junpei was staring, making Minato look as well.

What they saw was a young girl around their age, wearing a light blue dress, short blond hair moved along with the wind, features similar to a porcelain doll, and is wearing something like headphones. She stood on an isolated dock, facing the ocean.

"Whoa…" Junpei said as he smiled. "Talk about saving the best for last! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! Man, she's cute…"

"I agree…" Akihiko said as Minato nodded, all of them are definitely liking what they see as they hid behind a boulder for a closer look before they grouped together to talk.

"Okay guys, this is our last chance to make up for failures…" Junpei said. "But this time we should go one-by-one like last time."

"Sounds like a plan." Akihiko said.

"Alright, then let's decide the order! We'll go clockwise, starting with the winner." Junpei said as he held his fist up, signaling the other two to do the same. "Ready? Rock, paper, scissors!"

Minato threw down paper, but he lost as Junpei grinned as he won.

"Yeah, I win!" Junpei said as he got up. "Okay, I'll go first, Akihiko-san will go second, and you'll go last. Alright, here I go! Wish me luck."

"Good luck…" Minato said as he and the senior watched the other go up to the mysterious girl.

"H-Hey, h-how's it going?" He asked as he was blushing. "I noticed you've been, uh, staring at the ocean. So, um… do you come here often? My name's Ju-Ju-Junpei."

The girl turned to look at him. "Ju-Ju-Junpei?" She questioned, her clear blue eyes seemed like gems, making Junpei feel weak at the knees.

"Don't worry, I-I just want to talk." He said. "I mean, it's more fun than standing here all by yourself, isn't it?"

"I am looking for a human." She said, sounding a bit like a computer with a girlish, but very monotone voice and way of speaking.

"O-Oh yeah…?" Junpei said, not really sure if he heard right.

"You are not the one." She said bluntly as that seem to strike the junior boy were it hurts the most.

"Wow," Akihiko said as he and Minato were watching from the safety of the boulders "he got shot down faster than I expected…"

Minato nodded in agreement, feeling a bit bad for the other as he saw Junpei walk back towards them, head down and shoulders slumped in shame.

"Sh-She's a tough one, Senpai…" Junpei warned as he sat down, the air of being dejected hung over him.

"Heh… Don't worry about me." Akihiko said as he went up. "Well, hello there." He started. "Say, do you like the ocean?"

The girl looked at him. "Is your question directed at me?" She asked in the same tone as her facial expression hasn't changed a bit.

"Oh, um, yeah, I like the ocean too." Akihiko said as he looked out at the ocean. "Hey, I heard that triathletes who train at the beach perform better than those who practice indoors. Makes sense, doesn't it?" He looked at her again, her expression not moving an inch.

"That type of information is irrelevant to me."

Akihiko was a bit stunned, but he walked back to the other two and smiled. "Heh, I won… I talked to her longer than you did."

"It doesn't matter how long you talked to her!" Junpei said, clearly still hurt from earlier. He then sighed dejectedly. "This sucks…" He said with a sob.

"Hey, stop crying!" Akihiko said. "You're making me feel bad…"

"Man up…" Minato said as Junpei looked at him.

"So, that's our status." Junpei said as he pointed to Minato. "If you can't pull this off, I'm gonna be traumatized for the rest of my life."

"We're on the ropes, but it's not over yet…" Akihiko said. "It's all up to you now."

"Okay." Minato said as he got up and went up to her. "Good afternoon."

This made the girl turn. "You are…" She said, showing a bit of emotion of surprise.

"I couldn't hear what he said…" Junpei said. "But she looks surprised… We should go over there." He got up before Akihiko could stop him.

"Initiating evasive maneuver." The mysterious girl said. "Confirmation must be made at a secure location…" And with that she ran pass Minato and the two others, and into the forest.

"Hey, what did you say to make her run away like that?" Junpei asked, a bit ticked off, cutting Minato off when he was going to say what he said to the girl. "Well, what're you waiting for? Go after her!"

"But, it wasn't my fault." Minato said.

"Go tell her you're sorry! If you don't, we'll all be in trouble! Go on, man. You can catch her if you hurry!"

Minato didn't think this was reasonable, but he ran after the mysterious girl anyway into the forest.

xxxxx

Meanwhile, Minako made it to the Jyomon Sugi forest, where she found the tree she and the other girls were going to see before the Chairman's call, and sighed. "Where are they? We were supposed to meet here by now… I'm even ten minutes late trying to find this place…" She said as she remembered that, after getting their equipment back at the vacation home, Mitsuru said that they can cover more ground if they went in separate directions for an hour, after the hour they should meet up by the tree. If they found the tank, they should text Fuuka, and she will be able to pinpoint the location and head over there. So far, no such luck.

"I wonder how Brother and the guys are doing? I don't feel that great… I should really lie down after this mess is fixed." She said as she heard running and looked to see her brother coming up, wearing only his swimtrunks. "Toto-nii?"

"Sissy?" He asked. "What are you doing here? And why do you have your naginata out?"

"I should ask you the same question of why you're here dressing like that?" She said as both felt a strong gaze, stronger than what they've felt yesterday, only for Minato to look to see the mysterious girl was behind the sign for the tree as she walked out.

The twins stood there as she looked at them, as if studying them.

"May I help you?" Minako asked as the girl nodded.

"Now I am certain…" The girl said. "I have found you." She then went up and threw her arms around both of them. "I have been searching for you. My highest priority is to be with you!"

"Uh… what's going on?" Minako asked, as she felt that the girl wasn't going to let go anytime soon.

"No, idea…" Minato said as Junpei and Akihiko came running up.

"There she is…" Junpei said as he was shocked. "Wait, WHAT!? What's going on here!? I can't believe this!"

"What's going on!?"

"Does that girl have a twin fetish or something? How does she even know they're twins?"

"Is… that her preference?" Akihiko asked. "Well… that kinda explains why we got the cold shoulder."

"Could someone please tell me what's going on!?" Minako asked. "I know you guys were at the beach, but what's this girl got to do with it?"

Before Minato could explain, Yukari came up. "There you are, Minako." She said happily before seeing the guys and looking ticked. "Huh!? What are you guys doing here!? We've been looking all over for you!" With that Fuuka came up as well, looking confused.

"Um… What're you doing in the middle of the woods, in your swimsuits?"

"You have no idea what we've—" Yukari was about to rant when she noticed the twins and the girl hugging them. "Who's this? And… why is she hugging you two?"

"She says we're her priority." Minako said, a bit lost as to what is going on.

"What?"

"I have no idea…" She said as she looked at her brother.

"Don't look at me, I'm lost as you are…" He said as Mitsuru came up.

"Listen, we've encountered a problem." She said, ignoring the awkward scene of the boys in their swimwear and a mysterious girl hugging the twins and having no intention of releasing them. "I'm sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I need you all to go back to the house and prepare for battle."

Then the Chairman walked up. "That won't be necessary…" He said. "We've found what we're looking for."

"What do you mean?" Yukari asked as the Chairman sighed.

"You had me worried. You don't have permission to leave the lab on your own, Aigis."

"I know…" The mysterious girl, Aigis said, not releasing the twins.

"What's going on?" Junpei asked, seriously lost in what's going on.

"I'll explain everything once we're back in the mansion." The Chairman said. "Come now, Aigis, release them. You'll see them later."

"… Very well…" Aigis said as she released the twins from her hug. "I will see you later. You are my highest priority."

The twins didn't know what to say as the Chairman and Aigis left.

"Okay… can someone fill me in?" Junpei said as Yukari practically lectured him about this and that while explaining what was going on.

"A tank?" Akihiko questioned. "But… The Chairman said he found what he was looking for…?" It wasn't really adding up.

"You guys don't look well." Minako pointed out. "Let's head back and get you clean and rested up. I'm sure we'll understand what's going on later."

"I'm going to take up on that…" Junpei said as he sighed. "This day was the worst…"

"I agree…" Akihiko said as he wasn't in the mood to argue.

And with that, everyone headed back to the mansion, the heavy atmosphere following them even when they parted ways.


	101. Ep100: Yakushima - Day 2: Aigis and

Ep. 100: Yakushima – Day 2: Aigis and Sleepless Night

Minato: Smart, Charismatic, Badass / Minako: Smart, Queen Bee, Tough

-7/21-

That evening, when everyone was as rested up as they can be after the days' unusual events, they all waited in the reception room when the Chairman walked up.

"I apologize for all the trouble." He started. "Everything is under control now."

"So, what happened to capturing the tank?" Fuuka asked.

"Oh, that's been taken care of." He looked back. "Come here, Aigis."

"Coming…" Said Aigis as she walked up to them, but when she did, everyone saw that she's a robot.

"This is Aigis. As you can see, she's a 'mechanical maiden'."

"I am Aigis. My mission is to destroy Shadows. I have been assigned to SEES, effective immediately."

"No way…" Yukari said, surprised by this. "It's like she's… alive."

"This is unbelievable…" Akihiko said.

"She's so cute, but…" Junpei said as he blushed as well as slumped his shoulders "she's a robot…"

"Anti-Shadow weapons were created ten years ago to combat uncontrollable Shadows." The Chairman explained. "Aigis was the last one to be made… and she's the only one that still remains today."

"An anti-Shadow weapon…" Mitsuru said. "Does that mean she…?"

"Yes," Aigis said "I am capable of operating the Persona 'Palladion'."

"She suffered major damage in combat and has remained in the lab ever since." The Chairman continued. "It's still unclear as to why she suddenly reactivated herself this morning…" He smiled. "Well, I hope you will all get along."

"An anti-Shadow weapon with a will of her own…" Fuuka said, sounding amazed as she looked at Aigis a bit closely, seeing the gears and electronics that kept her functioning, and the porcelain coverings on her arms, legs, and torso, while her face looks very human like with the same texture that's similar to human skin. "This is amazing!"

"Um… By the way…" Yukari said to Aigis. "When we saw you earlier, it seemed like you knew them." She mentioned to the twins. "I mean, you were h-hugging them like you did…"

"Yes, it is very important for me to be by their side." Aigis responded.

"Hmm… Perhaps her identification system is malfunctioning…" The Chairman said. "Or maybe she's still half asleep… This is quite interesting…"

"I don't think it's that…" Yukari said as she didn't know what to think about Aigis. The event from earlier bothered her for some reason.

"Well, I can ponder this later." The Chairman said as he mentioned about the recreational activities they can do. "Would you care to hear me sing?" He asked after he mentioned karaoke, making everyone, minus Aigis, to hesitate to answer.

Minako, however, looked at Aigis and wondered. 'Have… I seen her before? That can't be… I would've remembered something as amazing as her.' She thought as Minato asked if she was okay, which she responded that she as fine, just a bit shocked. 'Plus, Toto-nii would've remembered to.'

"Well!" Junpei said as he got up. "Considering that we got ourselves a new member, we should at least introduce ourselves."

"Iori Junpei, second year at Gekkoukan High. Very low points in academics. Class clown."

Junpei sat back down, looking depressed.

"She's already knows everyone's data and information in her system." The Chairman said happily.

"Great…" Junpei said as Minato patted his back.

"There was nothing you could do." Minato said.

"Let's just turn in for the night…" Yukari said. "This just become one crazy day…"

"I'll say…" All the guys said in unison.

"Wow… you guys look like your spirits died." Yukari said as the guys got up and left the room quietly. "Did I guess right? Just what happened to them?" She looked over to Minako. "Do you know?"

Minako shrugged her shoulders. "Not a clue."

"Who should I go with?" Aigis asked as she looked between Minako and Minato, who was walking away with the guys with a heavy cloud over them.

"The guys can take care of themselves…" Minako said. "I wouldn't mind having some company."

"Understood." Aigis said.

'This is something to get used to…' Minako thought as she, Yukari, and Fuuka were going around with Aigis, seeing what she's able to do and explain her things before calling it a night.

xxxxx

With the guys, they went their separate rooms, trying to get some sleep to rid of their horrid day. Akihiko wasn't able to sleep as he looked at the time, seeing that it was closing in on the Dark Hour. "To hell with caution…" He said as he got out of bed, grabbing his shoes and coat, everything else he kept on, since he was sure no one would be able to be up and about at this time.

He headed out of the mansion and towards the beach, which now looked eerie with the ocean of blood and the area looking like it was under a green light, wanting to get a run in, when he noticed someone on the dock again. "Aigis again?" He asked, when he noticed that it wasn't the robot girl. "Huh? Minako?" He ran up close to the dock, only to stop to hear that Minako was singing.

'Why is she even out here? And during the Dark Hour?' He thought as he leaned up against a rock as he listened to her sing.

"… _Don't cry, dear one… I will see you again one day… Keep me in your heart for all time… And there I shall remain…"_ She sang, ending the song, only to hear footsteps on wood and turned to see Akihiko. "Oh!" She was surprised to see him. "Wh-What are you doing up?"

"I should be asking you that." He said as he looked at the area. "Doesn't look all that great during this hour, huh?"

"No… But I don't have to worry about people listening…" She blushed.

Akihiko could see that she's a bit caught off guard as he scratched his head. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"Not really." She said as she giggled. "I never would've thought that there would be a robot girl that could summon a Persona, can you?"

"Nope, took me by surprise." He admitted.

"Did something happen early on in the day?"

"Huh?"

"You just seemed down. All of you were, it was surprising to me." Minako said looking concerned.

"I… rather not talk about it…" He said, wanting to forget that day.

"I see." She said as she looked out at the now sea of red, blood-like water. "Did Junpei convince you to do something that you regret then?"

"How the hell did you come to that conclusion!?" Akihiko asked, not sure how she was able to do that.

"A few things: one, this is Junpei we're talking about, and as much as I love him as my best friend, he does have that tendency to come off as a perv and likes the ladies. Two, the only time you ever look depressed is when you feel like you failed in something. And lastly, all of you were involved, which tells me this was a group thing when we're not there to be the center of attention."

He blushed as he was mentioned to sit down next to her on the dock. He did that and sighed. "Am I really that easy to read?"

"Rarely." Minako said with a smile. "But seriously though, what's troubling you? It's the reason you're out here, isn't it?"

Akihiko knew this was going to bug her as well if he didn't tell her, and quite honestly, there was something that was bugging him that he debated asking her about. "Okay… There is one that I've debated asking you about."

"Okay…"

"Am I… you know… Am I too much of a hassle? Or too logical?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well… How do I put this?" He said. "Well… Are there times when you feel like I'm just a bother to you?"

"A bother? No… Not from what I remember from the times we hung out and in Tartarus."

"Okay… And… uh…"

Minako raised a brow as she poked his cheek. "Did someone say something about you that made you question yourself?"

Akihiko sighed as he nodded. "Yeah… I know I told you that things, like people calling me weird, doesn't bother me anymore, but… I don't know… I don't even know why it's bugging the hell out of me."

Minako could see that he was troubled as she tried to figure out the best way to sum it up. "Well… if it was a woman that told you these things, she was probably pointing out your flaws that she didn't find attractive or thought you needed improve on."

"That's what it sounded like."

"But if you ask me, I think you're fine just the way you are." She said with a smile as he looked at her. "If you find something that you need to improve on, then you can do it because you see it as something to improve. You don't need someone to tell you that."

Akihiko went over what she said in his mind as he nodded. "In other words… Only I can make the changes that I see need changing."

"That's right!"

He smiled as he patted her shoulder. "Thanks, Minako-chan… I'm glad I talked to you about this."

"I'm glad I can help. And I think you learned a lesson here."

"What's that?"

"Don't get involved in Junpei's schemes when us girls aren't around. Because I know Toto-nii went along with it, didn't he?"

"Yes, yes he did… But he really didn't do much…"

"He knew it was stupid from the start, but he still got himself involved." She said as she shook her head.

Akihiko shook his head. "Who would've thought…?" He said as he looked at her. "So what caused you to be restless?"

She sighed as she looked down at the water. "I have a feeling I might've seen Aigis somewhere before…"

"Before? You know when?"

"That's what's bothering me… But it's kinda silly. There's no way I wouldn't remember someone like her, right? It's hard to forget something that amazing sometime in your life, right?"

"That's true. I mean, I almost couldn't believe my eyes when she walked out like that. She looked so human when she wore that dress."

Minako giggled. "Sounds like you had a small crush on her."

Akihiko blushed since it was true. "Yeah… Me, Junpei, and Minato did…"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Even I thought she was really cute, that was before she hugged me and Toto-nii and saying strange things."

"Yeah… Weird… Like she knew you guys… But Ikutsuki-san might have a point that she probably got you guys confused with someone else." He said as he yawned. "Ah, I'm finally tired…"

Minako yawned as well as she giggled. "Yeah, me too." She said as Akihiko got up, holding his hand out for her to grab. "Thank you." She grabbed the hand and they headed back to the mansion.

"So, that song you were singing before. I don't think I've heard it anywhere."

"Oh, it's my lullaby that my parents made up when I felt scared to go back to sleep."

"A lullaby?" He asked as she nodded. "I'd like to hear the full song sometime."

She blushed as she nodded. "Yeah, sometime."

"What's with that face? Don't tell me you're embarrass to sing in front of others."

"Other songs, no. But this song is kinda precious to me…" She said with a gentle smile. "It's one of the only things that keeps me connected to my parents."

"I see…" He said. "Sorry for teasing…"

She giggled as they reached to the door to her room. "It's okay." She said as they said their good nights and she entered the room, while he headed back to his own to finally get some sleep.

xxx

With Minato, he woke up a bit after Akihiko left his room, seeing that his sister was missing from her bed and rolled his eyes. 'Looks like she's restless again…' He thought as he rubbed his eyes. 'Man… that day could've started better…' He thought, seeing the fails replying in his mind seemed to haunt him, and he never cared for the dumb operation to begin with. 'This is karma for nearly getting Senpai and Junpei in a bad position.' He remembered that creepy old woman feeling up Akihiko and the gorgeous woman that turns out to be… well not a woman and Junpei would've had to learn the hard way if Akihiko hadn't pointed that small hair out.

He sighed as he got up, not feeling up to getting back to sleep and decided to wander around. He could guess only a few people would still be up during Dark Hour: Mitsuru, her father, his sister, possibly Junpei, and any of the late night staff worker.

He went around the corner, only to nearly run into Yukari. "Yukari?"

"Minato!?" Yukari said as she breathed in a sigh of relief. "You scared me…"

"What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep." She said simply. "So, I thought I would just wander around until I was tired."

"Funny, I was going to do the same, and maybe find Sissy as well."

"She's not in her room?"

"Probably doing the same thing we're doing." He said as he mentioned her to lead the way.

"So…" Yukari said after walking for a bit of time in silence.. "Today was rather interesting towards the end. You know, with Aigis…"

"Yeah, never thought I would see a robot girl in my lifetime." Minato said.

"And she seems to know you and Minako… which is kinda strange if you think about it…"

"Yeah, but it's nothing to worry about." He said. "Since now she's part of the team. So that makes it five girls and three guys in a team… well we're out numbered…"

Yukari giggled. "Worried that we can kick your butts in the near future?" Yukari asked when they heard someone coming up. "Who could be up at this hour?"

"Hide." He said as they went behind a wall and cautiously peeked out from the corner, only to see Akihiko and Minako walking side by side. "What the-!?" He didn't expect to see those two, as Yukari covered his mouth.

"Quiet, they'll hear you." She said as the other two walked past them, Minako talking about a lullaby before stopping in front of the door that she and Minato were sharing before they said their good nights as Akihiko left. "They're gone…" She looked to see that she nearly suffocated Minato. "Oh! Sorry!"

Minato had his nose and mouth covered and he felt relieved to breathe again. "You hate me that much?"

"Huh? No! Nothing like that." She said. "Sorry…"

Minato waved it off. "It's okay. I'm still here."

"That's not really funny." She said dully as she yawned. "Okay, all this excitement is getting me tired."

"I'll walk you back to the room."

"I can get there on my own."

Minato shrugged. "Okay, if you say so." He looked at her and smiled. "Sweet dreams." He said as he headed back to his room.

"Hey, um…" She said, making him stop and look at her. "Oh, never mind."

'This again?' He thought as he turned to face her fully. "What is it?"

"Sorry. Well, um… Yesterday, I said some stupid things. I just wanted to say I'm sorry. It's been bothering me all day. It's hard not having a regular family, ya know?" Minato nodded, something they can agree with, sibling or no sibling. "Everyone else has a mom and a dad… Kinda like what you were talking about yesterday, but… Why do we have to be different? Why us…?" She then realized what she sounded like. "Sorry, I didn't mean to lump all of us together like that… but I feel like you guys can understand, and have been looking out for me. At least, that's what I thought." She chuckled nervously. "Is that just wishful thinking? But that's how I really feel, though."

Minato felt touched by this as he felt his fragile bond grow a bit stronger as Yukari started to shiver.

"It's getting cold out here. I should head back to the dorm."

"Yeah, don't want to catch the summer cold." He said with a smile. "Sweet dreams…" He then headed to head into his room.

Yukari stood there, with a bit of a blush as she said good night to him and headed back to her room and slept the rest of the night.


End file.
